Intracortical Inhibition and Facilitation after congenital stroke

Objectives: To measure intracortical inhibition (ICI) and facilitation (ICF) in a homogeneous group of patients with unilateral pre- or perinatal stroke. Methods: Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over both hemispheres, we measured motor threshold (MT) and ICI and ICF with interstimulus intervals (ISI) of 2–20ms in 11 patients (mean age 15.7 years, 6 female) with unilateral hemiparesis due to cortico-subcortical pre- or perinatal stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory. Patients were included only when contralateral tracts to the paretic hand were detectable. Two patients ICI and ICF data had…