Background: Focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex was used to study
two cortically activated inhibitory neuronal mechanisms that suppress ongoing tonic
voluntary electromyographic activity in contralateral (postexcitatory inhibition [PI])
and ipsilateral (transcallosal inhibition [TI]) hand muscles. The PI follows the corticospinally
mediated excitatory motor response (MEP) and is influenced by dopaminergic neurotransmission.
TI reflects transcallosally mediated inhibition of the contralateral motor cortex,
leading to motor inhibition in muscles ipsilateral to stimulation. PI and TI were
studied to explore whether dopaminergic neurotransmission or interhemispheric transfers
are altered in schizophrenia. Methods: TMS was performed in 16 patients with this disease and in 16 healthy control subjects.
Surface electromyographic activity was recorded bilaterally from the first dorsal
interosseous muscle during a sustained strong isometric contraction. Results: When compared with the findings in healthy subjects, patients with schizophrenia
had a significantly longer PI and TI. The changes of the PI support the notion of
an overactivity of the central dopaminergic system in schizophrenia. Conclusion: The prolonged TI suggests an abnormal activation of interhemispheric connections
between the motor cortices and may be related to previously reported pathology of
the corpus callosum in schizophrenic patients.
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Dr. Malek Bajbouj
Labor für Klinische Psychophysiologie
Department of Psychiatry
Freie Universität Berlin
Eschenallee 3
14050 Berlin
Germany
Telefon: +49 30 8445 8622
Fax: +49 30 8445 8393
eMail: malek.bajbouj@medizin.fu-berlin.de
