PRECENTRAL AND POSTCENTRAL CORTICAL SOMATOSENSORY-EVOKED POTENTIALS IN HEMIPARKINSONISM

We recorded cortical frontal, central, and parietal somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in 9 patients with hemiparkinsonism and in a group of 25 healthy volunteers. No differences were observed in the SEPs recorded after stimulation of the asymptomatic and symptomatic sides in the patients. Likewise, comparison with the healthy controls did not reveal significant group differences or abnormal waveforms in the patients. Even frontal N30 deflection, which has been reported to be diminished in Parkinson's disease (PD), was normal and symmetric in the patients. Therefore, no evidence was found for altered sensory input to the motor or premotor and supplementary motor cortices in PD.