Cortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.

The study of cortical myoclonus affords an insight into both the spatiotemporal organization of the human sensorimotor cortex and the nature of descending motor signals. Cortical activity tends to be rhythmic, whether in response to peripheral stimulation or intended movement. This activity leads to...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Brown, P
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1995
_version_ 1826297715064045568
author Brown, P
author_facet Brown, P
author_sort Brown, P
collection OXFORD
description The study of cortical myoclonus affords an insight into both the spatiotemporal organization of the human sensorimotor cortex and the nature of descending motor signals. Cortical activity tends to be rhythmic, whether in response to peripheral stimulation or intended movement. This activity leads to a series of descending motor discharges and a train of electromyographic bursts, with a frequency of around 50 Hz. Each descending motor discharge consists of a brief series of synchronous volleys, separated by 3 to 6 ms. Such a repetitive pattern of activity takes advantage of the additive facilitation seen with high-frequency inputs to the spinal motoneurone, so that movement is ensured. In health, cortical motor activity is focused and tempered by inhibitory inputs, both local and far afield. Studies in patients have highlighted two forms of inhibition, ipsilateral cortical and transcallosal, which are reduced in those cases with more extensive jerks. This lack of inhibition facilitates the transcallosal and cortical spread of myoclonic activity responsible for bilateral and generalized myoclonic jerks.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T04:35:54Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:cfe63c5a-f4a8-4785-9be4-aa639cbec585
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T04:35:54Z
publishDate 1995
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:cfe63c5a-f4a8-4785-9be4-aa639cbec5852022-03-27T07:46:05ZCortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:cfe63c5a-f4a8-4785-9be4-aa639cbec585EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1995Brown, PThe study of cortical myoclonus affords an insight into both the spatiotemporal organization of the human sensorimotor cortex and the nature of descending motor signals. Cortical activity tends to be rhythmic, whether in response to peripheral stimulation or intended movement. This activity leads to a series of descending motor discharges and a train of electromyographic bursts, with a frequency of around 50 Hz. Each descending motor discharge consists of a brief series of synchronous volleys, separated by 3 to 6 ms. Such a repetitive pattern of activity takes advantage of the additive facilitation seen with high-frequency inputs to the spinal motoneurone, so that movement is ensured. In health, cortical motor activity is focused and tempered by inhibitory inputs, both local and far afield. Studies in patients have highlighted two forms of inhibition, ipsilateral cortical and transcallosal, which are reduced in those cases with more extensive jerks. This lack of inhibition facilitates the transcallosal and cortical spread of myoclonic activity responsible for bilateral and generalized myoclonic jerks.
spellingShingle Brown, P
Cortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.
title Cortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.
title_full Cortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.
title_fullStr Cortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.
title_full_unstemmed Cortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.
title_short Cortical myoclonus: an insight into the organization of normal movement in man.
title_sort cortical myoclonus an insight into the organization of normal movement in man
work_keys_str_mv AT brownp corticalmyoclonusaninsightintotheorganizationofnormalmovementinman