Suppression of segmental cervical motor evoked potential in postanoxic encephalopathy in a child: clinical case

We present a clinical case of suppression of cervical segmental motor evoked potential in a child with post anoxic encephalopathy. We performed a dynamic examination of a 4-year-old female patient after acute post hypoxia (freshwater drowning) using single-pulse magnetic stimulation, magnetic resonance tractography with reconstruction of the corticospinal tract from the primary motor cortex and supplemental area, segmentation and morphometry of brain. Post hypoxic damage in a 4-year-old child resulted not only in the loss of cortical motor evoked potentials, but also in the suppression of segmental cervical motor evoked potentials with preservation of peripheral ones. The obtained data indicate the negative effect of hypoxia on the conducting function of the proximal part of the peripheral nervous system, which probably aggravates the process of motor recovery of patients with post anoxic encephalopathy.