Ann Rehabil Med.  2011 Dec;35(6):759-764. 10.5535/arm.2011.35.6.759.

Motor Evoked Potentials of the Upper Extremities in Healthy Children

• Yook SW
• Park SH
• Ko MH
• Seo JH

• KMID: 2266800
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2011.35.6.759

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate and compare the organization of descending motor pathways to upper extremity muscles among healthy children. METHOD: The healthy children were 16 males and 7 females aged 1-19 years (average, 9 years), and eight healthy adults were enrolled as the control group. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to bilateral motor cortices, and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded using surface electrodes from the first dorsal interossei (FDI), the biceps brachii (BIC), and the deltoid (DEL) muscles. The onset latency, central motor conduction time (CMCT), and amplitude were obtained during a relaxed state.
RESULTS
MEPs of FDI were obtained from subjects aged 13 months. The frequency of obtaining MEPs in proximal and distal muscles increased with age, although there was a less frequent incidence of obtaining MEPs in the proximal BIC and DEL muscles compared with those in the distal FDI muscle. MEP amplitudes increased with age, whereas latencies were relatively constant. CMCTs showed a similar pattern of maturation, and adult values were obtained by 13-years-of-age.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that the proximal and distal muscles of the upper extremities show different maturation and organization patterns.

Keyword

Motor evoked potential; Upper extremity; Proximal and distal muscle; Brain maturation

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Child
Efferent Pathways
Electrodes
Evoked Potentials, Motor
Female
Humans
Incidence
Male
Muscles
Nitrogen Mustard Compounds
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Upper Extremity
Nitrogen Mustard Compounds

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Demographics of the 23 healthy children.

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