Phosphene thresholds correlate with paired-pulse suppression of visually evoked potentials

Höffken, Oliver; Lenz, Melanie; Sczesny-Kaiser, Matthias; Dinse, Hubert R.; Tegenthoff, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.brs.2012.02.004

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Although the perception of phosphenes is somewhat subjective, in recent years several studies on the visual cortex in healthy subjects and in patients, have used the intensity threshold at which phosphenes are elicited as a specific index of visual cortex excitability (e.g. [3,13,22,27,31,51,52,56]). The exact generation of phosphene perception is still under discussion, results suggest that PTs are not functionally analogous to motor-evoked potentials following TMS over M1 but more to conscious perception of visual stimuli, nevertheless occurring within an earlier time window [52].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prophylactic treatment in menstrual migraine: A proof-of-concept study

Wickmann

Stephani

Czesnik

et al. 2015

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prophylactic treatment in menstrual migraine: A proof-of-concept study

Wickmann

Stephani

Czesnik

et al. 2015

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

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“…Most studies have supported the involvement of GABA A , but have also demonstrated that different forms of intracortical inhibition, such as short‐interval intracortical inhibition, long‐interval intracortical inhibition, and short‐interval interhemispheric inhibition, might be mediated by different mechanisms (Florian et al ., ). PPS has been documented for the motor cortex (Ziemann et al ., , ; Werhahn et al ., ; Hanajima et al ., ; Di Lazzaro et al ., ; Florian et al ., ), the auditory cortex (Percaccio et al ., ; Wehr & Zador, ), the somatosensory cortex (Allison, ; Schwartz & Shagass, ; Shagass & Schwartz, ; Ragert et al ., ; Höffken et al ., , Lenz et al ., ), the visual cortex (Musselwhite & Jeffreys, ; Höffken et al ., , , ,b), and higher cortical areas such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Fitzgerald et al ., ), implying that PPS is a ubiquitous cortical phenomenon that is not limited to a particular area. On the other hand, there are also significant differences in the properties of PPS across areas and modalities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To study changes in PPS, we applied a paired‐pulse protocol described in a recent review and systematic analysis by Höffken et al . (,b). It consists of paired electrical median nerve stimulation with an ISI of 30 ms. Nerve stimulation of the right side was performed with a block electrode on the wrist (pulse width of rectangular pulse of 0.2 ms; repetition rate of paired stimuli of 2 Hz).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Accordingly, small amplitude ratios are associated with strong PPS, and large amplitude ratios are associated with reduced PPS. For the somatosensory system, PPS in combination with somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) recordings over the primary somatosensory cortex has been increasingly used to investigate paired‐pulse behaviour, in order to obtain insights into cortical processing modes and to obtain markers of changes of cortical excitability attributable to learning or pathological states (Allison, ; Schwartz & Shagass, ; Shagass & Schwartz, ; Ragert et al ., ; Höffken et al ., , ,b; Lenz et al ., ; Gatica Tossi et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A single dose of lorazepam reduces paired‐pulse suppression of median nerve evoked somatosensory evoked potentials

Stude

Lenz

Höffken

et al. 2016

Eur J of Neuroscience

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Paired-pulse behaviour in the somatosensory cortex is an approach to obtain insights into cortical processing modes and to obtain markers of changes of cortical excitability attributable to learning or pathological states. Numerous studies have demonstrated suppression of the response to the stimulus that follows a first one after a short interval, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive, although there is agreement that GABAergic mechanisms seem to play a crucial role. We therefore aimed to explore the influence of the GABAA agonist lorazepam on paired-pulse somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). We recorded and analysed SEPs after paired median nerve stimulation in healthy individuals before and after they had received a single dose of 2.5 mg of lorazepam as compared with a control group receiving placebo. Paired-pulse suppression was expressed as a ratio of the amplitudes of the second and the first peaks. We found that, after lorazepam application, paired-pulse suppression of the cortical N20 component remained unchanged, but suppression of the N20-P25 complex was significantly reduced, indicative of GABAergic involvement in intracortical processing. Our data suggest that lorazepam most likely enhances inhibition within the cortical network of interneurons responsible for creating paired-pulse suppression, leading to reduced inhibitory drive with a subsequently reduced amount of suppression. The results provide further evidence that GABAA -mediated mechanisms are involved in the generation of median nerve evoked paired-pulse suppression.

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“…Furthermore, in a recent study, we compared paired-pulse visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) with phosphene thresholds after the transcranial stimulation of the occipital lobe. We found a correlation of both excitability parameters and suggested that both approaches may reflect the common characteristics of visual cortex excitability, but each method most likely targets different mechanisms [8]. Many studies of paired-pulse stimulation in the sensorimotor system during various pharmacological interventions have yielded further insights into the underlying physiological mechanisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Noradrenergic modulation of human visual cortex excitability assessed by paired-pulse visual-evoked potentials

et al. 2012

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Paired-pulse paradigms are common tools to explore excitability in the human cortex. Although the underlying mechanisms of intracortical inhibition and facilitation in the motor system assessed by paired transcranial magnetic stimulation are well understood, little is known about the physiology of excitability in the human cortex measured by paired-pulse visual-evoked potentials (VEPs). We therefore aimed to explore the noradrenergic influence on paired-pulse VEPs. We recorded and analysed VEPs following a single and paired-pulse stimulation in healthy individuals before and after they received single doses of 60 mg atomoxetine and in a control group. Paired-pulse suppression was expressed as a ratio of the amplitudes of the second and the first peaks. We found that the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine reduced paired-pulse suppression significantly, indicating a facilitatory effect on visual cortex excitability, whereas in the control group, no significant effects were found. Single-pulse VEPs were unaffected. We conclude that single-dose atomoxetine is able to increase excitability in the visual cortex, indicating an involvement of the noradrenergic system.

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Phosphene thresholds correlate with paired-pulse suppression of visually evoked potentials

Cited by 10 publications

References 45 publications

Prophylactic treatment in menstrual migraine: A proof-of-concept study

Prophylactic treatment in menstrual migraine: A proof-of-concept study

A single dose of lorazepam reduces paired‐pulse suppression of median nerve evoked somatosensory evoked potentials

Noradrenergic modulation of human visual cortex excitability assessed by paired-pulse visual-evoked potentials

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