Silent Period After Mixed Nerve Stimulation and Transcortical Magnetic Stimulation

Abstract

Silent period is transient and relative or absolute pause of discharges of muscle actionpotential in a sustained contracting muscle. SP can be produced by orthodromic motor orantidromic sensory volleys by stimulating a mixt nerve ora sensory nerve. It is consideredthat a transient muscle spindle pause or Renshaw inhibition is the cause of SP. Howeversuprasegmental motor control mechanisms might be involved in SP. In this study, SP isstudied in 11 healty volunteer in both APB muscles by means of median nerve stimulationand transcortical magnetic stimulation (TCMS). SP was found 111 msec, SD:16.06 (81-139msec) by median nerve stimulation and 168 msec, SD:82.4 (66-344 msec) by TCMS. LLRwas also considered in median nerve stimulation and found 53 msec, SD.5.97 (46-65msec).