Unilateral enhancement of early and late blink reflex components in hemidystonia
Raffaele, R.; Palmeri, A.; Ricca, G.; Casabona, A.; Perciavalle, V.
Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology 30(8): 469-473
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-150X PMID: 2286171 Document Number: 366895
The side-to-side differences in the EMG activity of the early and late components of blink reflex, regarded as revealing the state of excitability of the brain stem reflex centers, have been analyzed in patients with unilateral dystonia without demonstrable brain lesions. It has been observed that both early and late responses of direct blink reflex were higher on the side affected by hemidystonia than on the contralateral one, while the latency values were in the normal range. Possibility than an abnormal output from the striatum towards the brainstem structures involved in blink reflex appears on the affected side of hemidystonic patients is discussed.