J Korean Neurol Assoc.  1996 Dec;14(4):951-958.

Magnetically Elicited Blink Reflex: The Comparison with Electrically Elicited Blink Reflex and Its Clinical Application

• Kim JI
• Kim JY
• Park SP
• Suh CK

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether magnetically and electrically evoked blink reflexes show the same characteristics in both normal and pathologic conditions, whether the magnetic stimulation technique is more beneficial than the electrical stimulation technique, and whether the magnetic stimulation can therefore replace the conventional electrical stimulation. The blink reflex of 52 healthy persons(19 males, mean age 41.7) and 48 patients with pathologic conditions of facial and trigeminal nerves were investigated using magnetic and electrical stimulation. The shortest latencies of Rl, R2 and R2c (contralateral R2) following magnetic and electrical simulation were not different significantly in both control and patient group. The amplitude and duration had marked intersubject and intrasubject variabilities with both stimulation techniques. 91 of 100 subjects(91%) preferred magnetic stimulation to electrical stimulation. They stated that magnetic stimulation was less painful and more comfortable due to lack of the direct skin contact which was indispensable to the electrical stimulation. They said that mild dull pain and thick-witted sound with magnetic stimulation were unpleasant. Our study showed that the magnetically elicited blink reflex is of the same diagnostic values to the electrically elicited blink reflex. The magnetic stimulation has the advantage of causing less pain and easiness for the examiner to apply to evoke the blink reflex. Therefore, the blink reflex with magnetic stimulation fan replace the electrically elicited blink reflex.

MeSH Terms

Blinking*
Electric Stimulation
Humans
Male
Skin
Trigeminal Nerve