IMPAIRED CORTICO-BULBAR TRACT FUNCTION IN DYSARTHRIA DUE TO HEMISPHERIC STROKE - FUNCTIONAL TESTING USING TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION

Citation
Pp. Urban et al., IMPAIRED CORTICO-BULBAR TRACT FUNCTION IN DYSARTHRIA DUE TO HEMISPHERIC STROKE - FUNCTIONAL TESTING USING TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION, Brain, 120, 1997, pp. 1077-1084
Citations number
50
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences,"Clinical Neurology
Journal title
BrainACNP
ISSN journal
00068950
Volume
120
Year of publication
1997
Part
6
Pages
1077 - 1084
Database
ISI
SICI code
0006-8950(1997)120:<1077:ICTFID>2.0.ZU;2-9
Abstract
We investigated cortico-lingual and cortico-orofacial tract function u tilizing transcranial magnetic stimulation in 18 consecutive patients with dysarthria due to hemispheric stroke. Delayed responses (conducti on time > mean + 2.5 SD of that of 43 controls) or absent responses we re considered abnormal. In all patients, motor-cortex stimulation of t he lesion side demonstrated absent (13 patients) or delayed (five pati ents) responses to the tongue bilaterally (17 patients) or unilaterall y (one patient). In 14 patients the contralateral orofacial responses were either absent (13 patients) or delayed (one patient). According t o the electrophysiological findings, all lesions revealed by CT or MRI , were located within the pyramidal tract at the lower motor cortex (n = 4), the corona radiata (n = 7), and the genu of the internal capsul e (n = 3) or its posterior limb (n = 4). We conclude that interruption of the cortico-bulbar tract fibres to muscles involved in articulatio n is a frequent cause of dysarthria in hemispheric stroke.