Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Measures, Pyramidal Score on Expanded Disability Status Scale and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Corticospinal Tract in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Probing the cortic ospinal tract integrity by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could help to understand the neurophysiological correlations of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. Therefore, the study objective was, first, to investigate TMS measures (resting motor threshold-RMT, motor evoked potential (MEP) latency, and amplitude) of corticospinal tract integrity in people with relapsing-remitting MS (pwMS). Then, the study examined the conformity of TMS measures with clinical disease-related (Expanded Disability Status Scale—EDSS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results (lesion count) in pwMS. The e-field navigated TMS, MRI, and EDSS data were collected in 23 pwMS and compared to non-clinical samples. The results show that pwMS differed from non-clinical samples in MEP latency for upper and lower extremity muscles. Also, pwMS with altered MEP latency (prolonged or absent MEP response) had higher EDSS, general and pyramidal, functional scores than pwMS with normal MEP latency finding. Furthermore, the RMT intensity for lower extremity muscles was predictive of EDSS functional pyramidal scores. TMS/MEP latency findings classified pwMS as the same as EDSS functional pyramidal scores in 70–83% of cases and were similar to the MRI results, corresponding to EDSS functional pyramidal scores in 57–65% of cases. PwMS with altered MEP latency differed from pwMS with normal MEP latency in the total number of lesions in the brain corticospinal and cervical corticospinal tract. The study provides preliminary results on the correspondence of MRI and TMS corticospinal tract evaluation results with EDSS functional pyramidal score results in MS.

Expression of CD40 and CD192 in Classical Monocytes in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Assessed with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

“…pwMS with altered MEP latency differed from people with MS with normal MEP latency in the total number of lesions in the brain corticospinal and cervical corticospinal tract. Therefore, the study provided preliminary results on the correspondence of MRI and TMS corticospinal tract evaluation by inspecting MEP latency results with EDSS functional pyramidal score results in MS [55]. Therefore, according to the findings of MFI of CD192 and CD40 in CD14 ++ CD16 − monocytes in two MS subgroups, we can speculate about possible findings in more disabled patients.…”

“…Subjects in this study were mildly disabled (according to clinical EDDS findings), but we graded them as those with normal and altered MEP findings according to our recently published study [55]. In a previously published study, we investigated TMS measures (resting motor threshold (RMT), motor-evoked potential (MEP) latency, and MEP amplitude) of corticospinal tract integrity in pwMS.…”

Effectiveness and mechanism of action of rTMS combined with quadriceps strength training in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…Non-invasive brain stimulation is an increasingly growing domain of rehabilitation therapeutics for clinical neurological disorders. A variety of techniques for transcranial brain stimulation has been proposed, such as, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) [19]. A general opinion is that modulation of neuronal excitability by tDCS is a relatively simple function (e.g., cortical excitability is reduced by cathodal stimulation and increased by anodal stimulation) and tDCS effects are difficult to predict, rarely used to treat diseases with various neural circuits, such as, pain related to central sensitization [20].…”