Title: Electromyographic Analysis of Brain Nerve Reflexes in Posterior
Abstract: We investigated the brain nerve reflexes in five patients with posterior fossa processes; four pontine tumors and one unknown process with sym ptoms of the posterior fossa. The blink reflex, the silent period of the masseter, and a tongue reflex were tested. The registration was made with a four-channel oscilloscope. In some cases up to ten reflex tests were averaged. The blink reflex was elicited by stimulation of the supraorbital nerve. The activity of both orb. oculi was recorded with surface electrodes. For recording of the silent period of the masseter, muscle needle electrodes were used. The tongue, the second root of the trigeminal nerve, and the masseter itself were stimulated to evoke the silent period. Investigation of the tongue was made by stimulating the hypo glossal and the lingual nerves in the mandibular angle and recording the response from the tongue surface by a suction electrode system. Results The blink reflex was altered in its second component in all five cases. As an example, the case D. H. may be quoted. In this 10-year-old patient with a pontine tumor, the second component of the blink reflex was re tarded on the left side up to 44 ms. In contralateral stimulation, this effect was given more pronounced. In clinical examination, no altera tion of the blink reflex could be seen, although hypaesthesia in the area of the left trigeminal nerve could be demonstrated. In computerized tomography, which was performed in the same week as the electromyographic investigation, there was no pathologic finding, but weeks later the full symptomatology of a pontine tumor developed. The silent period of the masseter muscle was altered significantly in only one case (Fig. 2). In one case, no deviations could be found, in spite of hypaesthesia in one side of the face. The tongue reflex was re
Publication Year: 1978
Publication Date: 1978-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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