Primary Motor Cortex Representation of Handgrip Muscles in Patients with Leprosy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leprosy is an endemic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that predominantly attacks the skin and peripheral nerves, leading to progressive impairment of motor, sensory and autonomic function. Little is known about how this peripheral neuropathy affects corticospinal excitability of handgrip muscles. Our purpose was to explore the motor cortex organization after progressive peripheral nerve injury and upper-limb dysfunction induced by leprosy using noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Methods

In a cross-sectional study design, we mapped bilaterally in the primary motor cortex (M1) the representations of the hand flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), as well as of the intrinsic hand muscles abductor pollicis brevis (APB), first dorsal

SUBMITTER: Batista E Sa VW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4512691 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature