Characterisitc Electrophysiological Findings in a Case with Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Infarct

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 18(3); 2000 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2000;18(3): 375-378.

경부척수경색 급성기의 전기생리학적 검사소견

김 광 국, 김 광 국

울산대학교 의과대학 서울중앙병원 신경과

Characterisitc Electrophysiological Findings in a Case with Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Infarct

Kwang-Kuk Kim, M. D.

Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan

Abstract

The diagnosis of a cervical cord infarction could be made with clinical manifestations and a neurological examina-tion. The MRI will make a disgnosis. The nerve conduction study and electromyogram were conducted for a better comprehension of the flaccid hands weakness and paraplegia. The nerve conduction study, performed two weeks after stroke, did not show any compound motor action potentials (CMAPs) of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor digiti quinti (ADQ), or the extensor digitorum communis muscles. Late responses (H-reflexes and F-waves) were not evoked in the lower extremities. The denervation potentials were detected in the APB and ADQ. The diffuse anterior horn cell lesion of the C7-T1 spinal cord did not cause CMAPs in any of the hand muscles. A lack of late-responses in the lower extremity of the cervical cord infarct suggests that the suprasegmental region of the descending tract to the anterior horn cells of the lumbar spinal cord must be needed for the production of a late-response by a signal transduct-ing neurotransmitters or long loop facilitations. J Korean Neurol Assoc 18(3):375~378, 2000 Key Words : Cervical cord infarct, H-reflex, F-wave