Cervical nerve root stimulation. Part I: technical aspects and normal data.

Objective: Cervical nerve root stimulation (CRS) is a technique of assessing the proximal segments of motor axons destined to upper extremity muscles. Few studies report normal values. The objective was to determine CMAP onset-latencies and CMAP amplitude, area, and duration changes in healthy controls for the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor digiti minimi (ADM), biceps, and riceps muscles.

Multifocal motor neuropathy: decrease in conduction blocks and reinnervation with long-term IVIg.

Background: Multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction blocks (MMNCB) is an immune-mediated motor neuropathy. Previous long-term IV immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment studies have documented improvement in muscle strength and functional disability but revealed a concomitant increase in acute axonal degeneration (AD) and conduction block (CB).

Objective: To determine the long-term effects of IVIg therapy on clinical and neurophysiologic outcome measures in MMNCB patients responsive to IVIg.

Neurophysiologic findings in early acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.

Background: Patients with early acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) may not meet the current neurophysiologic criteria.

Objective: To document neurophysiologic findings in early AIDP.

Methods: Clinical and neurophysiologic data from 38 AIDP patients, assessed within 10 days of symptom onset were reviewed.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation of visual area V5 in migraine.

Objective: To examine visual cortical excitability in persons with migraine using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over an extrastriate area of the brain, area V5.

Background: Previous studies found that persons with migraine have a lower phosphene threshold than healthy control subjects with TMS delivered over the primary visual cortical area V1. The result suggests that the occipital cortex in migraineurs between migraine attacks is hyperexcitable.