Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Muscle potentials evoked by magnetic stimulation of the sciatic nerve in unilateral sciatic nerve dysfunction.
- Journal:
- The Journal of small animal practice
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Van Soens, I et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology
Plain-English summary
In a study involving eight dogs and three cats with problems in one of their sciatic nerves (the nerve that runs from the lower back down the leg), researchers used magnetic stimulation to check how well the nerves were working. They figured out where the nerve issue was by looking at the pets' medical history, doing a neurological exam, and using a test called electromyography. The causes of the nerve problems varied among the pets. They found that there was a clear difference in the muscle response between the healthy leg and the one with the nerve issue. Pets that couldn't feel pain, move their leg, or had a poor response to the tests were less likely to show any muscle response when the nerve was stimulated. Overall, the findings suggest that a lack of muscle response is linked to more severe nerve damage.
Abstract
Magnetic stimulation of the sciatic nerve and subsequent recording of the muscle-evoked potential (MEP) was performed in eight dogs and three cats with unilateral sciatic nerve dysfunction. Localisation of the lesion in the sciatic nerve was based on the history, clinical neurological examination and on results of electromyography examination. Aetiology of the sciatic nerve lesion was diverse. A significant difference was found in MEP between the normal and the affected limbs. In addition, absence of conscious pain sensation, absence of voluntary motor function and a poor outcome seemed associated with the inability to evoke an MEP in the affected limb.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20214726/