Abnormal subcortical activity in congenital mirror movement disorder with RAD51 mutation.

Purpose: Congenital mirror movement disorder (CMMD) is characterized by unintended, nonsuppressible, homologous mirroring activity contralateral to the movement on the intended side of the body. In healthy controls, unilateral movements are accompanied with predominantly contralateral cortical activity, whereas in CMMD, in line with the abnormal behavior, bilateral cortical activity is observed for unilateral motor tasks. However, task-related activities in subcortical structures, which are known to play critical roles in motor actions, have not been investigated in CMMD previously.

Flexor reflexes elicited by magnetic and electric stimulation of the sural nerve.

Objectives: We have investigated whether magnetic stimulation of the sural nerve can evoke a flexor reflex recorded from the ipsilateral short head of the biceps femoris muscle.

Methods: The sural nerve was subjected to magnetic stimulation as well as by single-pulse electrical stimulation in healthy subjects.

Results: In 87% of the participants, a reflex response was elicited from the short head of biceps femoris muscle by magnetic stimulation of the sural nerve.

Efficacy, tolerability, and side effects of oxcarbazepine monotherapy: a prospective study in adult and elderly patients with newly diagnosed partial epilepsy.

Objective: The aim of the study described here was to investigate the efficacy, tolerability, and side effects of oxcarbazepine (OXC) monotherapy in newly diagnosed, previously untreated adult and elderly patients with partial epilepsy.

Methods: We prospectively analyzed and recorded the efficacy, tolerability, and side effects of OXC monotherapy. The results were analyzed on the basis of etiologic classifications and age distributions.