Our previous study of motor evoked potentials(MEPs) in predicting functional recovery of hemiparesis of stroke patients showed a significant relationship between upper extremity MEP and functional outcomes.5) But there were some controversies in predicting a functional outcome of lower extremity, especially the gait status, with the upper extremity MEP.
In this study, we included lower extremity MEP to evaluate the role of MEP in predicting a functional outcome of hemiparetic patients. We compared the responsiveness of upper and lower extremity MEPs with the functional outcome measured by modified Barthel Index and gait status.
Responsiveness of lower extremity MEP was correlated with a good functional outcome regardless of the upper extremity MEP. The upper extremity MEP's known predictive value was thought to be due to its close relationship with the lower extremity MEP.
