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Rhythmic cortical myoclonus in a case of HIV‐related encephalopathy
Author(s) -
Canafoglia Laura,
Panzica Ferruccio,
Franceschetti Silvana,
Carriero M. Rita,
Ciano Claudia,
Scaioli Vidmer,
Chiapparini Luisa,
Visani Elisa,
Avanzini Giuliano
Publication year - 2003
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/mds.10584
Subject(s) - myoclonus , neuroscience , rhythm , electroencephalography , electromyography , somatosensory evoked potential , psychology , electrophysiology , encephalopathy , motor cortex , ataxia , cerebellum , cerebellar ataxia , audiology , medicine , stimulation , psychiatry
We describe a 66‐year‐old, HIV‐seropositive patient presenting with ataxia and upper limb rhythmic myoclonus activated by postural maintenance. Electromyograph (EMG) recordings of the forearm muscles showed 50‐msec bursts, with a frequency of 10 Hz, concurring with frontocentral electroencephalograph (EEG) rhythmic activity. Autoregressive spectral analysis applied to the EEG–EMG traces made it possible to detect significant coherence between the rhythmic EEG discharges and EMG bursts. The amplitude of the middle‐latency somatosensory evoked potentials was increased. Long‐latency reflexes were enhanced. On the basis of the electrophysiological findings, the movement disorder should be considered a rhythmic variant of cortical myoclonus. In our patient, HIV infection may have caused a dysfunction in the central nervous system pathways involving the cerebellum and sensorimotor cortex, similar to that occurring in genetically determined conditions characterised by cortical myoclonus. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society