TY - JOUR
T1 - Two types of abnormal somatosensory evoked potentials in chronic cerebellar ataxias
AU - Okajima, Y.
AU - Chino, N.
AU - Saitoh, E.
AU - Tsubahara, A.
AU - Kimura, A.
AU - Mihara, B.
PY - 1991/1/1
Y1 - 1991/1/1
N2 - To investigate subclinical sensory impairment in spinocerebellar degenerations, median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were examined in 16 patients with chronic cerebellar ataxia who were originally diagnosed by clinical neurologists as having olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA). Two types of abnormal SEP patterns were found in six patients. Two patients had the SEP pattern of peripheral neuropathy, which was also detected by peripheral sensory nerve conduction studies. Four patients had abnormal SEPs seen in patients with the lesions in the central nervous system (dorsal column, medial lemniscus). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple subcortical lesions in two of them which are often found in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is possible that clinically diagnosed OPCA sometimes includes a similar form of Friedreich's ataxia with subclinical sensory fiber neuropathy detected by SEPs and peripheral sensory conduction studies. In cases of lesions in the central nervous system demonstrated by both SEPs and MRI, there must be a follow-up in order to make a final diagnosis. In those cases, an alternative diagnosis of MS must be considered when the temporal profile of symptoms and signs characteristic of MS is observed.
AB - To investigate subclinical sensory impairment in spinocerebellar degenerations, median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were examined in 16 patients with chronic cerebellar ataxia who were originally diagnosed by clinical neurologists as having olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA). Two types of abnormal SEP patterns were found in six patients. Two patients had the SEP pattern of peripheral neuropathy, which was also detected by peripheral sensory nerve conduction studies. Four patients had abnormal SEPs seen in patients with the lesions in the central nervous system (dorsal column, medial lemniscus). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple subcortical lesions in two of them which are often found in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is possible that clinically diagnosed OPCA sometimes includes a similar form of Friedreich's ataxia with subclinical sensory fiber neuropathy detected by SEPs and peripheral sensory conduction studies. In cases of lesions in the central nervous system demonstrated by both SEPs and MRI, there must be a follow-up in order to make a final diagnosis. In those cases, an alternative diagnosis of MS must be considered when the temporal profile of symptoms and signs characteristic of MS is observed.
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U2 - 10.1097/00002060-199104000-00009
DO - 10.1097/00002060-199104000-00009
M3 - Article
C2 - 2009166
AN - SCOPUS:0025809521
VL - 70
SP - 96
EP - 100
JO - American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
JF - American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
SN - 0894-9115
IS - 2
ER -