Comparison of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Electroneuronography Between Bell's Palsy and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome in Their Acute Stages

OBJECTIVE: To examine the neurophysiologic status in patients with idiopathic facial nerve palsy (Bell's palsy) and Ramsay Hunt syndrome (herpes zoster oticus) within 7 days from onset of symptoms, by comparing the amplitude of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) of facial muscles in electroneuronography (ENoG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). METHODS: The facial nerve conduction study using ENoG and TMS was performed in 42 patients with Bell's palsy and 14 patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome within 7 days from onset of symptoms. Denervation ratio was calculated as CMAP amplitude evoked by ENoG or TMS on the affected side as percentage of the amplitudes on the healthy side. The severity of the facial palsy was graded according to House-Brackmann facial grading scale (H-B FGS). RESULTS: In all subjects, the denervation ratio in TMS (71.53+/-18.38%) was significantly greater than the denervation ratio in ENoG (41.95+/-21.59%). The difference of denervation ratio between ENoG and TMS was significantly smaller in patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome than in patients with Bell's palsy. The denervation ratio of ENoG or TMS did not correlated significantly with the H-B FGS. CONCLUSION: In the electrophysiologic study for evaluation in patients with facial palsy within 7 days from onset of symptoms, ENoG and TMS are useful in gaining additional information about the neurophysiologic status of the facial nerve and may help to evaluate prognosis and set management plan.

Semiconditional Electrical Stimulation of Pudendal Nerve Afferents Stimulation to Manage Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of semiconditional electrical stimulation of the pudendal nerve afferents for the neurogenic detrusor overactivity in patients with spinal cord injury. Forty patients (36 males, 4 males) with spinal cord injury who had urinary incontinence and frequency, as well as felt bladder contraction with bladder filling sense or autonomic dysreflexic symptom participated in this study. METHOD: Patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity were subdivided into complete injury and incomplete injury groups by ASIA classification and subdivided into tetraplegia and paraplegia groups by neurologic level of injury. Bladder function, such as bladder volumes infused to the bladder until the first occurrence of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (V(ini)) and the last contraction suppressed by electrical stimulation (V(max)) was measured by water cystometry (CMG) and compared with the results of each subgroup. RESULTS: Among the 40 subjects, 35 patients showed neurogenic detrusor overactivity in the CMG study. Among these 35 patients, detrusor overactivity was suppressed effectively by pudendal nerve afferent electrical stimulation in 32 patients. The infusion volume until the occurrence of the first reflex contraction (V(ini)) was 99.4+/-80.3 ml. The volume of saline infused to the bladder until the last contraction suppressed by semiconditional pudendal nerve stimulation (V(max)) was 274.3+/-93.2 ml, which was significantly greater than V(ini). In patients with good response to the pudendal nerve afferent stimulation, the bladder volume significantly increased by stimulation in all the patients. CONCLUSION: In this study, semiconditional electrical stimulation on the dorsal penile afferent nerve could effectively inhibit neurogenic detrusor overactivity and increase bladder volume in patients with spinal cord injury.