Recruitment of motor cortical excitability in untreated patients with epilepsy

Purpose: Measurements of intracortical excitability in the motor cortex in patients with epilepsy have been variable and conflicting. We assessed the recruitment of intracortical short-latency inhibition (sICI) and facilitation (sICF) in untreated patients with epilepsy. Methods: 26 untreated patients with epilepsy (14 with generalized and 12 with focal epilepsy; GE and FE) were studied and compared to 20 age matched controls. TMS was applied with a figure-of-eight coil placed over the hot spot for the right FDI. The threshold of motor cortical excitability was determined by applying five randomly ordered blocks…