Abstract
We report a 63-year-old woman with cortical reflex myoclonus restricted to the bilateral
lower limbs. Somatosensory evoked cortical potentials to posterior tibial nerve stimulation
were enlarged with C-responses. Jerk-locked back averaging of the EEG identified a
cortical spike related to myoclonic jerks. Motor evoked potentials recorded from the
abductor hallucis muscle showed an exaggerated late response. These findings suggest
hyperexcitability of the sensorimotor cortex. 99mTc-ECD single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) after stimulation of the
posterior tibial nerve showed increased perfusion in the contralateral peri-Rolandic
area which corresponded to the hyperexcitable region. A SPECT activation study as
well as MEPs therefore can be employed to determine the hyperexcitable region in cortical
myoclonus.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 9,
1998
Received in revised form:
October 15,
1998
Received:
May 1,
1998
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.