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The contribution of TMS to frontotemporal dementia variants
Author(s) -
Alberici A.,
Bonato C.,
Calabria M.,
Agosti C.,
Zanetti O.,
Miniussi C.,
Padovani A.,
Rossini P. M.,
Borroni B.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2008.01017.x
Subject(s) - transcranial magnetic stimulation , frontotemporal lobar degeneration , corticobasal degeneration , frontotemporal dementia , psychology , dementia , neuroscience , executive functions , alzheimer's disease , disease , cognition , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , stimulation
Objective – Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) includes different heterogeneous conditions mainly characterized by personality changes and cognitive deficits in language and executive functions; movement disorders have also been associated with FTLD. The present study aimed to measure the primary motor cortex (M1) inhibitory and facilitatory functions in patients affected by FTLD. Materials and methods – The study included 17 FTLD patients, 8 age‐matched healthy controls and 8 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to study intracortical inhibition (ICI) and facilitation (ICF) by using a double‐pulse paradigm. Results – FTLD patients were comparable with controls and AD patients for ICI and ICF. Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) patients presented significant reduced inhibition at ISI3; moreover two out of seven CBD patients had only ipsilateral responses. Discussion – The present study reveals a selective impairment of M1 ICI inhibitory response in CBD, which may help in distinguishing among the FTLD clinical spectrum.