MOTOR-EVOKED RESPONSES TO TRANSCRANIAL BRAIN-STIMULATION PERSIST DURING CATAPLEXY - A CASE-REPORT

Magnetic brain stimulation was performed in a patient with the narcole psy-cataplexy syndrome during and after a cataplectic status. Amplitud es and thresholds of responses in six muscles (diaphragm, lumbar erect or spinae, trapezius, biceps, tibialis anterior and abductor digiti V) remained unchanged during cataplexy as compared to the normal state. Our data suggest that, similar to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, an e nhanced cortical excitability to magnetic brain stimulation may compen sate for the postsynaptic spinal inhibition of muscle tone during cata plexy, and that there is no difference in this respect between axial a nd distal muscles. Our data agree well with other evidence of increase d cortex activity during cataplexy and REM sleep.