Bilateral somatosensory cortex disinhibition in complex regional pain syndrome type I

作者：Lenz M^*; Hoeffken O; Stude P; Lissek S; Schwenkreis P; Reinersmann A; Frettloeh J; Richter H; Tegenthoff M; Maier C

来源：Neurology, 2011, 77(11): 1096-1101.

DOI：10.1212/WNL.0b013e31822e1436

Objective: In a previous study, we found bilateral disinhibition in the motor cortex of patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). This finding suggests a complex dysfunction of central motor-sensory circuits. The aim of our present study was to assess possible bilateral excitability changes in the somatosensory system of patients with CRPS.
Methods: We measured paired-pulse suppression of somatosensory evoked potentials in 21 patients with unilateral CRPS I involving the hand. Eleven patients with upper limb pain of non-neuropathic origin and 21 healthy subjects served as controls. Innocuous paired-pulse stimulation of the median nerve was either performed at the affected and the unaffected hand, or at the dominant hand of healthy controls, respectively.
Results: We found a significant reduction of paired-pulse suppression in both sides of patients with CRPS, compared with control patients and healthy control subjects.
Conclusion: These findings resemble our findings in the motor system and strongly support the hypothesis of a bilateral complex impairment of central motor-sensory circuits in CRPS I. Neurology (R) 2011;77:1096-1101

• 出版日期2011-9