Time-frequency analysis reveals decreased high-frequency oscillations in writer's cramp

Brain. 2007 Jan;130(Pt 1):198-205. doi: 10.1093/brain/awl259. Epub 2006 Sep 26.

Abstract

High-frequency oscillations (HFO) have been suggested to reflect the activity of thalamocortical and/or intracortical neurons bursting at high frequencies. These circuits seem to be involved in pathophysiological mechanisms of focal dystonia. In healthy subjects, we characterized the spectrotemporal properties of HFO patterns evoked by dominant-hand median-nerve stimulation, using magnetoencephalography coupled with time-frequency analysis. Then, we investigated HFO in patients with writer's cramp and found that HFO patterns are strongly decreased in power and disorganized in time. This supports the assumption that abnormal HFOs reflect pathophysiological mechanisms occurring in focal dystonia, possibly resulting from a dysfunction of somatosensory processing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Dystonic Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Electric Stimulation / methods
  • Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / physiology
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Magnetoencephalography / methods
  • Median Nerve / physiopathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Reaction Time
  • Time Factors