Motor cortex excitability changes within 8 hours after ischaemic stroke may predict the functional outcome

Motor evoked potentials after magnetic transcranial stimulation and the excitability of the motor cortex to increasing magnetic stimulus intensities were evaluated in six patients with hemiparesis after ischaemic stroke within 8 hours after stroke. The latencies of motor evoked potentials were normal in all patients. After stimulation of the ischaemic hemisphere we obtained responses comparable with the contralateral ones in two patients (mean NIH score 2 (SD 0)) and this group was completely asymptomatic after 15 days (NIH score 0). In four patients the excitability of the motor cortex involved by the ischaemia was reduced and magnetic motor threshold was higher than that of the spared motor cortex. This finding was associated with a poor motor recovery and the NIH score after 15 days was unchanged (NIH score 1.75 (SD 1.5)). The present data suggest that the evaluation of the excitability of motor cortex may offer a mean of predicting functional outcome following stroke.