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Our study was aimed at estimating normal time values for the EMG waves recorded in the blink reflex test. The group examined included 400 healthy subjects (226 women and 174 men, with mean age about 50 years). There was no significant difference between the ages of the male and female subjects. The mean latency of the R1 wave in the response was 10.3 msec, while R2 was obtained after 32.5 msec, on average. The contralateral response component R2c was observed after 34.4 msec, on average. Gender did not influence the results, while age had a significant effect on R1 ( P = 0.029) and R2c ( P = 0.0003). The older the subject, the longer the latencies of the above waves. The data obtained on a rather large sampling of the tested subjects can be useful as normography for medical and neurophysiological purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Finkelsztejn A, Brooks J, Paschoal F, Fragoso Y. What can we really tell women with multiple sclerosis regarding pregnancy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. BJOG 2011;118:790-797. Although several papers report on pregnancy and multiple sclerosis (MS), no systematic review of the literature has been carried out. Neurologists and obstetricians need to have proper information to discuss with women presenting with MS who consider pregnancy. Literature review and meta-analysis of data on pregnancy in women with MS. The present work followed the recommendations of the PRISMA Statement. Using the PICO framework, the authors independently searched for the terms 'pregnancy' OR 'gestation' OR 'pregnant' AND 'multiple sclerosis' OR 'MS' in the following databases: EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, Index Medicus, Biomed Central, Ebsco Fulltext, LILACS, Scielo and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Selection criteria: only papers presenting original work with analysis of at least one of the outcomes among pregnant women with MS were included. Two independent workers performed the literature review. All the authors selected and read the relevant papers. Two other authors summarised data for analysis. Twenty-two papers reporting on 13 144 women with MS and their pregnancies were analysed. A significant decrease in relapse rate was observed during pregnancy, followed by a significant increase after delivery. Miscarriages, low birthweight, prematurity, neonatal death and malformations were assessed among these women and their offspring. There seems to be a regional influence on the rates of caesarean sections and abortions among women with MS. Neonatal death and malformation rates did not seem to be particularly high. The present work provides evidence-based data that can be discussed with women with MS and their relatives when pregnancy is considered by these families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]