Somatosensory testing in idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract

Sixty-seven consecutive patients (59 females, eight males; mean age 13.6 years, age range 8.1 to 18 years) with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were evaluated for segmental dystonia, thermal and vibratory thresholds, and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (cSEPs). Clinically, there were no signs of segmental dystonia. No significant side difference was found in cSEPs and thermal thresholds. Vibration thresholds were increased on the right side with a significant side difference at all sites. However, these changes did not correlate to curve size, rotation, curve type, or convexity. It was concluded that, at the present level of somatosensory testing, no segmental neurophysiological disturbance can be related to the appearance of idiopathic scoliosis. The importance of asymmetric vibratory thresholds measurements cannot be deduced from this study.

Postural imbalance in non-treated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis at different periods of progression

“…The integrity of the postural control system can be measured in different ways in quiet standing balance. Sensory integration deficits can be estimated by measuring the excursion of the COP during or following visual or proprioceptive deprivation [3,8,22,26,27,29,30]. Body shifting can also be assessed by prolonged testing periods of 30 min without external perturbations [36].…”

Sensorimotor Integration in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients

“…Although most studies detected abnormal SEPs in IS patients, some failed to do so. For example, Brinker et al (1992) and Olafsson et al (2002) did not find abnormal SEPs in their AIS patients. In contrast, Fernandez-Bermejo et al (1993) observed asymmetrical latency at the lumbar level in 20 out of 52 AIS patients.…”

“…In animal studies, scoliosis has been induced by damaging the posterior column pathway at the dorsal root and in the thoracic cord (Liszka, 1961;Pincott et al, 1984;Pincott & Taffs, 1982). These observations led some researchers to investigate whether IS patients would respond differently than healthy control participants to a mechanical stimulus (Barrack et al, 1988;Byl et al, 1997;Olafsson et al, 2002;Wyatt et al, 1986). No consensus has, however, been reached.…”

Recent Advances in Scoliosis

“…In animal studies, scoliosis has been induced by damaging the posterior column pathway at the dorsal root and in the thoracic cord (Liszka, 1961;Pincott et al, 1984;Pincott & Taffs, 1982). These observations led some researchers to investigate whether IS patients would respond differently than healthy control participants to a mechanical stimulus (Barrack et al, 1988;Byl et al, 1997;Olafsson et al, 2002;Wyatt et al, 1986). No consensus has, however, been reached.…”