Article

The description of the natural course of recovery from a spinal cord
injury (SCI) with spontaneous improvement of neurological, neurophysiological,
and functional measures is an important prerequisite in appraising effects of
upcoming interventional therapies. OBJECTIVE: To describe the spontaneous
evolution of motor-evoked potentials of the anterior tibial muscle (TA-MEP) and
their relation to outcomes of lower extremity motor scores (LEMS) and walking
function in patients recovering from an acute SCI. METHODS: TA-MEPs were assessed
in 255 SCI subjects within 5 time intervals throughout the first year after SCI
with combined neurological and functional measures. Tibial nerve conduction
studies were performed to screen for peripheral nerve damage. RESULTS: TA-MEP
allowed stratification of SCI according to lesion severity and outcome. As MEP
amplitudes increased over 12 months after SCI, this was paralleled by a
significant improvement of LEMS and walking function. TA-MEP latencies remained
usually stable. CONCLUSION: Clinical outcome and walking function after SCI can
be predicted independent of clinical measures by assessment of TA-MEP reflecting
corticospinal tract integrity.

Langue : ANGLAIS