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Reversal of Temporal Discrimination in Cervical Dystonia after Low‐Frequency Sensory Stimulation
Author(s) -
Erro Roberto,
Antelmi Elena,
Bhatia Kailash P.,
Latorre Anna,
Tinazzi Michele,
Berardelli Alfredo,
Rothwell John C.,
Rocchi Lorenzo
Publication year - 2021
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.28369
Subject(s) - somatosensory system , cervical dystonia , sensory system , stimulation , dystonia , sensory stimulation therapy , neuroscience , somatosensory evoked potential , psychology , neurological disorder , medicine , audiology , central nervous system disease
Background Somatosensory temporal discrimination is abnormal in dystonia and reflects reduced somatosensory inhibition. In healthy individuals, both the latter are enhanced by high‐frequency repetitive somatosensory stimulation, whereas opposite effects are observed in patients with cervical dystonia. Objectives We tested whether low‐frequency repetitive sensory stimulation, which in healthy individuals worsens discrimination, might have the opposite effect in patients with cervical dystonia at the physiological level and, in turn, improve their perceptual performance. Methods Somatosensory temporal discrimination and several electrophysiological measures of sensorimotor inhibition were collected before and after 45 minutes of low‐frequency repetitive sensory stimulation. Results As predicted, and opposite to what happened in controls, low‐frequency repetitive sensory stimulation in patients enhanced sensorimotor inhibition and normalized somatosensory temporal discrimination. Conclusions Patients with cervical dystonia have an abnormal response to repetitive sensory stimulation, which we hypothesize is attributed to abnormally sensitive homeostatic mechanisms of inhibitory circuitry in both sensory and motor systems. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society