S. Tobimatsu et al., EFFECTS OF SEX, HEIGHT AND AGE ON MOTOR EVOKED-POTENTIALS WITH MAGNETIC STIMULATION, Journal of neurology, 245(5), 1998, pp. 256-261
Magnetic stimulation of the brain and cervical and lumbar spinal roots
was performed on I S healthy subjects in order to investigate the eff
ects of sex, height and age oil motor evoked potentials (MEPs), The co
mpound muscle action potentials were recorded from the abductor pollic
is brevis and abductor hallucis muscles. The central motor conduction
time (CMCT) was measured between the cerebral cortex and the cervical
root and also between the cerebral cortex and the lumbar root. A multi
ple regression analysis was used to determine which of the physical va
riables, namely sex, height and age. were significant. X significant g
ender difference was observed in the MEP latencies and CMCT of the leg
, but not in those of the hand, Both height and age had a significant
effect on the leg MEP latencies with a lesser effect on the hand MEP l
atencies, The leg C;MCT was also significantly influenced by height an
d age, while.the hand CMCT was not. These results thus suggest that ph
ysical variables are very important in defining normal MEPs, especiall
y in the lower limbs. Therefore, when we assess motor function in pati
ents with neurological disorders, both the patients and control groups
should be matched for sex, height and age distribution.