Physiologic analysis of central motor pathways--simultaneous recording from multiple relaxed muscles.

The central motor pathways were studied with the technique of percutaneous electrical stimulation of the central nervous system in 40 normal volunteers. There were no significant differences between the right and left sides, or between males and females. A linear correlation between the cortical latency (Lcor) or the spinal latency (Lsp) and body height was observed, however, there was no correlation between the central conduction time (CCT) (Lcor-Lsp) and body height. Consequently, the CCT appears to provide a reliable estimate of the function of central motor pathways. We have established normal values for eight muscles at rest that would be required for localizing a very small intraspinal lesion.