Abstract
Three brothers with dyssynergia cerebellaris myoclonica received alcohol to study the correlation between improvement of myoclonus and alteration in somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). Alcohol considerably improved myoclonus for about six hours in two patients (cases 1 and 2) but had only a mild effect in one (case 3). All three patients had giant cortical SEPs. The amplitudes of median N20-P25 and P25-N35 components and tibial N30-P40 and P40-N50 components were considerably decreased after alcohol ingestion in two patients (cases 1 and 2) but unchanged or slightly decreased in one (case 3). The peak latencies of those components were not affected by alcohol. There was thus a good correlation between the suppression of myoclonus and the decrease in giant SEP amplitude.
Full text
PDFSelected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Andermann F., Berkovic S., Carpenter S., Andermann E. The Ramsay Hunt syndrome is no longer a useful diagnostic category. Mov Disord. 1989;4(1):13–17. doi: 10.1002/mds.870040104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chadwick D., Hallett M., Harris R., Jenner P., Reynolds E. H., Marsden C. D. Clinical, biochemical, and physiological features distinguishing myoclonus responsive to 5-hydroxytryptophan, tryptophan with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, and clonazepam. Brain. 1977 Sep;100(3):455–487. doi: 10.1093/brain/100.3.455. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chu N. S. Somatosensory evoked potentials: correlations with height. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1986 May;65(3):169–176. doi: 10.1016/0168-5597(86)90051-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- GILBERT G. J., McENTEE W. J., 3rd, GLASER G. H. Familial myoclonus and ataxia. Pathophysiologic implications. Neurology. 1963 May;13:365–372. doi: 10.1212/wnl.13.5.365. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gross M. M., Begleiter H., Tobin M., Kissin B. Changes in auditory evoked response induced by alcohol. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1966 Aug;143(2):152–152. doi: 10.1097/00005053-196608000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Harding A. E. Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Unverricht-Lundborg disease, or what? Mov Disord. 1989;4(1):18–19. doi: 10.1002/mds.870040105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kakigi R., Shibasaki H. Generator mechanisms of giant somatosensory evoked potentials in cortical reflex myoclonus. Brain. 1987 Oct;110(Pt 5):1359–1373. doi: 10.1093/brain/110.5.1359. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kakigi R., Shibasaki H. Somatosensory evoked potentials following stimulation of the lower limb in cortical reflex myoclonus. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1987 Dec;50(12):1641–1646. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.50.12.1641. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lewis E. G., Dustman R. E., Beck E. C. The effects of alcohol on visual and somato-sensory evoked responses. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1970 Feb;28(2):202–205. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Marsden C. D., Obeso J. A. The Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a useful clinical entity. Mov Disord. 1989;4(1):6–12. doi: 10.1002/mds.870040103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Obeso J. A., Artieda J., Quinn N., Rothwell J. C., Luquin M. R., Vaamonde J., Marsden C. D. Piracetam in the treatment of different types of myoclonus. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1988 Dec;11(6):529–536. doi: 10.1097/00002826-198812000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Obeso J. A., Artieda J., Rothwell J. C., Day B., Thompson P., Marsden C. D. The treatment of severe action myoclonus. Brain. 1989 Jun;112(Pt 3):765–777. doi: 10.1093/brain/112.3.765. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Obeso J. A., Rothwell J. C., Marsden C. D. The spectrum of cortical myoclonus. From focal reflex jerks to spontaneous motor epilepsy. Brain. 1985 Mar;108(Pt 1):193–124. doi: 10.1093/brain/108.1.193. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rothwell J. C., Obeso J. A., Marsden C. D. On the significance of giant somatosensory evoked potentials in cortical myoclonus. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1984 Jan;47(1):33–42. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.47.1.33. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Squires K. C., Chu N. S., Starr A. Acute effects of alcohol on auditory brainstem potentials in humans. Science. 1978 Jul 14;201(4351):174–176. doi: 10.1126/science.208148. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]