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Bilateral painful hand–moving fingers: Electrophysiological assessment of the central nervous system oscillator
Author(s) -
Jabbari Bahman,
Molloy Fiona M.,
Erickson Marleigh,
Floeter Mary K.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/1531-8257(200011)15:6<1259::aid-mds1032>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - somatosensory evoked potential , electrophysiology , renshaw cell , reciprocal inhibition , neuroscience , somatosensory system , motor cortex , electromyography , spinal cord , medicine , psychology , transcranial magnetic stimulation , central nervous system , physical medicine and rehabilitation , stimulation
We describe a 35‐year‐old woman who presented with the syndrome of painful hand–moving fingers on the right side. Eight months later, she developed similar finger movements and hand discomfort on the left side. She had a history of hand trauma and recurrent shoulder dislocation on the right side. Kinesiologic electromyography suggested a common central oscillator for finger movements in both hands. Electrophysiological assessment of spinal alpha motor neuron excitability, reciprocal inhibition, and Renshaw cell inhibition failed to show any abnormalities. Somatosensory evoked potential test showed marked attenuation of N20 potential recorded from the left somatosensory cortex; paired transcortical magnetic stimulation of the left motor cortex suggested failure of cortical facilitation. The data suggest that the central oscillator responsible for finger movements is located above the spinal cord level in this patient.