[Progress in electrophysiologic and clinical examination for dorsal spinal cord injury]

Abstract

Electrophysiologic examination of dorsal spinal cord injury (DSCI) is focused on transcranial magnetic stimulation induced motor evoked potentials. It were recorded at thenar muscles, exector spinae muscle, intercostals muscle, and internal oblique muscles. In complete spinal cord injury, the exector musle motor evoked potentials may occur although clinically that muscle shows no recovery. The ipsilateral exector and internal oblique muscles may be distributed by non-cross fibers in cerebrospinal tract. The progress in clinical sensory examination includes cutaneous electrical perceptional sensory threshold and quantitative sensory test. The former is more sensitive than two-points discrepentive test. Quantitative sensory test includes light touch threshold, vibration perceptual threshold, thermal threshold, pain, and cutaneous axon flare respone. It has been used in DSCI patients above and below the injury level. The thermal threshold elevates above the injury level in complete and incomplete DSCI patients.