[Effect of small doses of L-dopa on synergic tonic reaction in patients with childhood cerebral palsy]. / Vliianie malykh doz L-dopa na sinergicheskuiu tonicheskuiu reaktsiiu u bol'nykh detskim tserebral'nym paralichom.

As many as 8 patients aged 8-19 years suffering from infantile cerebral paralysis (ICP) with torsion dystonia, akinetic, rigid, spastic and hypotonically atactic syndromes were examined for the maximum amplitude of EMG activity of the musculus tibialis anterior in voluntary rear flexion of the foot and in Strümpell's tibial synkinesia before treatment and after intake of small doses of L-DOPA (nakom, 62 mg/day). It has been established that the amplitude of voluntary EMG activity and the rate of impulse transmission in efferents of the tibial nerve remained practically unchanged during treatment; in all the cases, the synergic EMG activity, discharges of EMG and prolonged activity decreased; the scope of active movements in the talocrural joint increased by 10-20 degrees. The greatest decrease of synergic EMG activity (by 40%) was recorded in patients with rigid muscle tone, the mean in patients with spastic and spastic -dystonic (by 25-33%), the least one (17%) in muscle hypotonia. It is assumed that voluntary and synergic automatic movements have varying neuromediator supply. The effect of L-DOPA is realized via changes in the function of suprasegmental brain structures regulating polysynaptic postural reflexes with primary action on extensors. The effects of the subcortical nuclei, stem and cerebellar systems are made possible by dopamine neuromediation to a different measure.

[Electromyographic characteristics of recovery of motor function in patients with lesions of the cervical division of the spinal cord]. / Elektromiograficheskaia kharakteristika vosstanovleniia dvigatel'nykh funktsii u bol'nykh s porazheniem sheinogo otdela spinnogo mozga.

Electromyographic examination used for determining spontaneous activity of the muscles in patients with an injury at the level of C3-C6 showed that at the first stage the most significant sign was the presence of at least weak activity in the muscles of the lower extremities. This was usually a precursor of the successful restoration of motor functions and indicated the smallest volume of the injury and the absence of complications. At the later stages of treatment of these patients EMG revealed considerable activity in all major muscle groups ensuring walking and the maximum independence of the patient.

[The relationship between achievement of a simple movement and changes in the individual components of an evoked potential]. / Izmeneniia otdel'nykh komponentov vyzvannogo potentsiala v sviazi s vypolnemiem prostogo dvizheniia

Various moments of preparation and performance of a simple voluntary movement were tested in man with the aid of somatosensory, auditory, and visual evoked responses. An obvious attenuation of somatosensory responses closely related to the movement but independent of the spontaneous EEG changes and unaffected by the ischaemic deafferentation of the active limb, was observed. The time course of the amplitude changes was different for separate components of the same evoked response. The evoked response to stimulation of the inactive limb and the auditory evoked response changed also, while the visual evoked response remained unchanged. The described changes cannot be explained by changes in the transmission via the specific pathways. The changes in the response early components are supposed to manifest facilitation or activation of the sensory-motor cortical neurons, and those of the late, generalized complex--a decrease in the ascending message from unspecific structures.

[The relationship between strength and the amplitude of evoked response components in the human somatosensory cortex]. / Zavisimost' amplitudy komponentov vyzvannogo otveta somato-sensornoi zony kory cheloveka ot sily razdrazheniia

The intensity curves were determined for the individual components of the human somatosensory evoked response, led off from the contra and ipsilateral motor and contralateral visual areas. The amplitude of the early components steeply increased, reached "saturation" and decreased with more intensive stimuli, their peak latencies being constant. The late components were characterised by continuous increase of amplitude, and the decrease of peak latencies for the lowest part of the curve. The responses in both frontal regions were identical, while those from the frontal and posterior leads were significantly different. The obtained data indicate a marked difference between mechanisms producing individual components of the evoked response.