TY - JOUR
T1 - Abnormalities of somatosensory evoked potentials in konzo - An upper motor neuron disorder
AU - Tshala-Katumbay, D.
AU - Edebol Eeg-Olofsson, K.
AU - Kazadi-Kayembe, T.
AU - Fällmar, Peo
AU - Tylleskär, Thorkild
AU - Kayembe-Kalula, T.
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to konzo subjects and families for the acceptance to participate in this study. We thank health workers, especially Drs Mutombo Lukusa and Bone Bamanya at CNPP/University of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and CEPLANUT /Ministry of Health/DRC for their contribution to this work. Thanks are also due to IPICS, the International Program in the Chemical Sciences at Uppsala University for the grant support. This study was supported by SAREC, the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with developing countries.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Objective: To determine whether the somatosensory pathways are involved or not in konzo. Methods: In 1998, 21 konzo subjects (15 females and 6 males; mean age 21 years) underwent a SEP study with a two-channel-equipment (Medtronic Keypoint, Denmark) whereas in 2000, 15 subjects (7 females and 8 males; mean age 21 years) participated in a study with a 4-channel-equipment. Results: Most subjects (19/21 in 1998 and 12/15 in 2000) showed normal median SEPs. The remainders had no median cortical responses. All 21 subjects in 1998 and 9 out of 15 in 2000 showed abnormalities of tibial SEPs mainly consisting of absence of cortical responses, prolonged cortical latencies, and central sensory delay to the lumbar spine. Most subjects showed normal absolute latencies both at peripheral and spinal levels. The SEP findings did not correlate with the severity, neither the duration of konzo, nor the experience or not of sensory symptoms at the onset of the disease. Conclusion: Our findings are not specific of konzo. However, they suggest involvement of intracranial somatosensory pathways and point to similarities with other motor neuron diseases.
AB - Objective: To determine whether the somatosensory pathways are involved or not in konzo. Methods: In 1998, 21 konzo subjects (15 females and 6 males; mean age 21 years) underwent a SEP study with a two-channel-equipment (Medtronic Keypoint, Denmark) whereas in 2000, 15 subjects (7 females and 8 males; mean age 21 years) participated in a study with a 4-channel-equipment. Results: Most subjects (19/21 in 1998 and 12/15 in 2000) showed normal median SEPs. The remainders had no median cortical responses. All 21 subjects in 1998 and 9 out of 15 in 2000 showed abnormalities of tibial SEPs mainly consisting of absence of cortical responses, prolonged cortical latencies, and central sensory delay to the lumbar spine. Most subjects showed normal absolute latencies both at peripheral and spinal levels. The SEP findings did not correlate with the severity, neither the duration of konzo, nor the experience or not of sensory symptoms at the onset of the disease. Conclusion: Our findings are not specific of konzo. However, they suggest involvement of intracranial somatosensory pathways and point to similarities with other motor neuron diseases.
KW - Evoked potentials
KW - Konzo
KW - Motor neuron disease
KW - Somatosensory pathways
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036155750&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036155750&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S1388-2457(01)00705-2
DO - 10.1016/S1388-2457(01)00705-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 11801419
AN - SCOPUS:0036155750
SN - 1388-2457
VL - 113
SP - 10
EP - 15
JO - Clinical Neurophysiology
JF - Clinical Neurophysiology
IS - 1
ER -