Somatosensory evoked response: application in neurology

Guerreiro, Carlos A. M.; Ehrenberg, Bruce L.

doi:10.1590/S0004-282X1982000100004

Abstracts

One technique used for short-latency somatosensory evoked response (SER) is described. SER following nerve stimulation is a unique non-invasive, clinical test used to evaluate the somatosensory pathways. It tests the physiological function of the median nerve, the brachial plexus, the C6-7 cervical roots, cervical spinal cord, the cuneate nuclei, the medial lemniscus, the thalamus, and the contralateral sensory cortex. It has been shown to be a reliable and useful clinical test partiicularly in multiple sclerosis and comatose patients. The promising technique of SER following peroneal nerve stimulation is mentioned.

Potencial evocado somato-sensorial (PES) por estimulação elétrica do nervo mediano é a resposta elétrica produzida pela ativação do plexo braquial, raízes C6-7, medula cervical, sistema lemniscal do tronco cerebral, tálamo e córtex sensorial. Este teste clínico, não invasivo, permite a avaliação da integridade funcional da via somato-sensorial possibilitando a localização de lesões nos níveis acima apontados. O PES tem sido útil no estudo de comas, esclerose múltipla, doenças vasculares e outras patologias do sistema nervoso. PES por estimulação do nervo peroneiro parece ser muito sensível na detecção precoce do comprometimento da medula espinal.

Somatosensory evoked response: application in neurology

Potencial evocado somatosensorial: aplicação em neurologia

Carlos A. M. Guerreiro^I; Bruce L. Ehrenberg^II

^IFellow in Clinical Neurophysiology at Tufts-New England Medical Center (T-NEMC), Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Assistant Professor of Neurology at Campinas University (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil

^IIDirector of Clinical Neurophysiology, T-NEMAC, Boston, MA., USA

SUMMARY

One technique used for short-latency somatosensory evoked response (SER) is described. SER following nerve stimulation is a unique non-invasive, clinical test used to evaluate the somatosensory pathways. It tests the physiological function of the median nerve, the brachial plexus, the C6-7 cervical roots, cervical spinal cord, the cuneate nuclei, the medial lemniscus, the thalamus, and the contralateral sensory cortex. It has been shown to be a reliable and useful clinical test partiicularly in multiple sclerosis and comatose patients. The promising technique of SER following peroneal nerve stimulation is mentioned.

RESUMO

Potencial evocado somato-sensorial (PES) por estimulação elétrica do nervo mediano é a resposta elétrica produzida pela ativação do plexo braquial, raízes C6-7, medula cervical, sistema lemniscal do tronco cerebral, tálamo e córtex sensorial. Este teste clínico, não invasivo, permite a avaliação da integridade funcional da via somato-sensorial possibilitando a localização de lesões nos níveis acima apontados. O PES tem sido útil no estudo de comas, esclerose múltipla, doenças vasculares e outras patologias do sistema nervoso. PES por estimulação do nervo peroneiro parece ser muito sensível na detecção precoce do comprometimento da medula espinal.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Acknowledgement: This paper was partially supported by funds of Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo. (FAPESP).

Departamento de Neurologia - Faculdade de Ciências Médicas - Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Caixa postal 1170 - 13100 Campinas, SP - Brasil.

1. ALLISON T.; GOFF W. R.; WILLIAMSON P. D. & VANGILDER J. C. - On the neural origin of early components of the human somato-sensory evoked potential. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol., vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 51-68 Karger, Basel, 1980.
2. ANZISKA B.; CRACCO R. Q.; COOK A. W. & FELD E. W.. - Somatosensory for field potentials: studies in normal subjects and patients with multiple sclerosis. Electroenceph. clin. NeurophysioL 45:602, 1978.
3. ANZISKA B. & CRACCO R. W. - Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials: studies in patients with focal neurological disease. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 49:227, 1980.
4. CANT R. R. - Somatosensory and auditory evoked potentials in patients with disorders of consciousness: In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol., vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 282-291, Karger, Basel, 1980.
5. CELESIA G. G. - Somatosensory evoked potentials recorded directly from human thalamus and Sm I cortical area. Arch. Neurol. (Chicago) 36:399, 1979.
6. CHIAPPA K. H. - Pattern shift visual, brainstem auditory, and short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis. Neurology (Minneapolis) 30:110, 1980.
7. CHIAPPA K. H.; CHOI S. K. & YOUNG R. R. - Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials following median nerve stimulation in patients with neurological lesions. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol., vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 264-181 Karger, Basel, 1980.
8. CRACCO R. Q. - Spinal evoked response: peripheral nerve stimulation in man. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol 35:379, 1973.
9. CRACCO R. Q. - Scalp-recorded potentials evoked by median nerve stimulation: subcortical potentials, travelling waves and somatomotor potentials. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog, clin. Neurophysiol., vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 1-14 Karger, Basel, 1980.
10. CRACCO R. Q.; CRACCO J. B. & ANZISKA B. J. - Somatosensory evoked potentials 0in man: cerebral, subcortical, spinal, and peripheral nerve potentials. Am. J. EEG Technol. 19:59-81, 1979.
11. EISEN A.; STEWART J.; NUDLEMAN K. & COSGROVE J. B. R. - Short-latency somatosensory responses in multiple sclerosis. Neurology (Minneapolis) 29:827, 1979.
12. GOLDIE W. D.; CHIAPPA K. H. & YOUNG R. R. - Brainstem auditory evoked responses and short-latency somatosensory evoked responses in the evaluation of deeply comatose patients. Neurology (Minneapolis) 29:581, 1979.
13. HALLIDAY A. M. & HALLIDAY E. - Cerebral somatosensory and visual evoked potentials in different clinical forms of myoclonus. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol. vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 292-310, Karger, Basel, 1980.
14. HUME A. L. & CANT B. R. - Conduction time in central somatosensory pathways in man. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 45:361, 1978.
15. HUME A. L.; CANT B. R. & SHAW N. A. - Central somatosensory conduction time in comatose patients. Ann. Neurol. 5:379, 1979.
16. JONES S. J. - Short-latency potentials recorded from the neck and scalp following median nerve stimulation in man. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 43:853, 1977.
17. JONES S. J. - Investigation of brachial plexus traction lesions by peripheral and spinal somatosensory evoked potentials. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. (London) 42:107, 1979.
18. KRITCHEVSKY M. I. & WIEDERHOLT W. C. - Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials. Arch. Neurol. (Chicago) 35:706, 1978.
19. NAKANISHI T.; SHIMADA Y.; SAKUTA M. & TOYOKURA Y. - The initial positive component of the scalp-recorded somatosensory evoked potential in normal subjects and in patients with neurological disorders. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 45:26, 1978.
20. NEGAMY E. E. & SEDGWICK E. M. - Delayed cervical somatosensory potentials in cervical spondylosis. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. (London) 42:238, 1979.
21. PAPAKOSTOPOULOS D. & CROW H. J. - Direct recording of the somatosensory evoked potentials from the cerebral cortex of man and the difference between precentral and postcentral potentials. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol. vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt. 15-26, Karger, Basel, 1980.
22. SMALL D. G.; MATTHEWS W. B. & SMALL M. - Subcortical somatosensory evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 43:536, 1977.
23. STOCKARD J. J. & SHARBROUGH F. W. - Unique contributions of short-latency auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials to neurologic diagnosis. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. Clin. Neurophysiol. vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 231-263, Karger, Basel, 1980.
24. TORRE J. C; TRIMBLE J. L.; BEARD R. T.; HANLON K. & SURGEON J. W. - Somatosensory evoked potentials for the prognosis of coma in humans. Experimental Neurology 60:304, 1978.
25. TROJABORG W. & PETERSEN E. - Visual and somatosensory evoked cortical potentials in multiple sclerosis. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. (London) 42:323, 1979.
26. WIEDERHOLT W. C. - Early components of the somatosensory evoked potential in man, cat and rat. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials, Prog. clin. Neurophysiol. vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt 105-117, Karger, Basel, 1980.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
16 Aug 2012
Date of issue
Mar 1982

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] 1. ALLISON T.; GOFF W. R.; WILLIAMSON P. D. & VANGILDER J. C. - On the neural origin of early components of the human somato-sensory evoked potential. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol., vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 51-68 Karger, Basel, 1980.

[2] 2. ANZISKA B.; CRACCO R. Q.; COOK A. W. & FELD E. W.. - Somatosensory for field potentials: studies in normal subjects and patients with multiple sclerosis. Electroenceph. clin. NeurophysioL 45:602, 1978.

[3] 3. ANZISKA B. & CRACCO R. W. - Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials: studies in patients with focal neurological disease. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 49:227, 1980.

[4] 4. CANT R. R. - Somatosensory and auditory evoked potentials in patients with disorders of consciousness: In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol., vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 282-291, Karger, Basel, 1980.

[5] 5. CELESIA G. G. - Somatosensory evoked potentials recorded directly from human thalamus and Sm I cortical area. Arch. Neurol. (Chicago) 36:399, 1979.

[6] 6. CHIAPPA K. H. - Pattern shift visual, brainstem auditory, and short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis. Neurology (Minneapolis) 30:110, 1980.

[7] 7. CHIAPPA K. H.; CHOI S. K. & YOUNG R. R. - Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials following median nerve stimulation in patients with neurological lesions. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol., vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 264-181 Karger, Basel, 1980.

[8] 8. CRACCO R. Q. - Spinal evoked response: peripheral nerve stimulation in man. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol 35:379, 1973.

[9] 9. CRACCO R. Q. - Scalp-recorded potentials evoked by median nerve stimulation: subcortical potentials, travelling waves and somatomotor potentials. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog, clin. Neurophysiol., vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 1-14 Karger, Basel, 1980.

[10] 10. CRACCO R. Q.; CRACCO J. B. & ANZISKA B. J. - Somatosensory evoked potentials 0in man: cerebral, subcortical, spinal, and peripheral nerve potentials. Am. J. EEG Technol. 19:59-81, 1979.

[11] 11. EISEN A.; STEWART J.; NUDLEMAN K. & COSGROVE J. B. R. - Short-latency somatosensory responses in multiple sclerosis. Neurology (Minneapolis) 29:827, 1979.

[12] 12. GOLDIE W. D.; CHIAPPA K. H. & YOUNG R. R. - Brainstem auditory evoked responses and short-latency somatosensory evoked responses in the evaluation of deeply comatose patients. Neurology (Minneapolis) 29:581, 1979.

[13] 13. HALLIDAY A. M. & HALLIDAY E. - Cerebral somatosensory and visual evoked potentials in different clinical forms of myoclonus. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol. vol. 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 292-310, Karger, Basel, 1980.

[14] 14. HUME A. L. & CANT B. R. - Conduction time in central somatosensory pathways in man. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 45:361, 1978.

[15] 15. HUME A. L.; CANT B. R. & SHAW N. A. - Central somatosensory conduction time in comatose patients. Ann. Neurol. 5:379, 1979.

[16] 16. JONES S. J. - Short-latency potentials recorded from the neck and scalp following median nerve stimulation in man. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 43:853, 1977.

[17] 17. JONES S. J. - Investigation of brachial plexus traction lesions by peripheral and spinal somatosensory evoked potentials. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. (London) 42:107, 1979.

[18] 18. KRITCHEVSKY M. I. & WIEDERHOLT W. C. - Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials. Arch. Neurol. (Chicago) 35:706, 1978.

[19] 19. NAKANISHI T.; SHIMADA Y.; SAKUTA M. & TOYOKURA Y. - The initial positive component of the scalp-recorded somatosensory evoked potential in normal subjects and in patients with neurological disorders. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 45:26, 1978.

[20] 20. NEGAMY E. E. & SEDGWICK E. M. - Delayed cervical somatosensory potentials in cervical spondylosis. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. (London) 42:238, 1979.

[21] 21. PAPAKOSTOPOULOS D. & CROW H. J. - Direct recording of the somatosensory evoked potentials from the cerebral cortex of man and the difference between precentral and postcentral potentials. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. clin. Neurophysiol. vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt. 15-26, Karger, Basel, 1980.

[22] 22. SMALL D. G.; MATTHEWS W. B. & SMALL M. - Subcortical somatosensory evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 43:536, 1977.

[23] 23. STOCKARD J. J. & SHARBROUGH F. W. - Unique contributions of short-latency auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials to neurologic diagnosis. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials. Prog. Clin. Neurophysiol. vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt, 231-263, Karger, Basel, 1980.

[24] 24. TORRE J. C; TRIMBLE J. L.; BEARD R. T.; HANLON K. & SURGEON J. W. - Somatosensory evoked potentials for the prognosis of coma in humans. Experimental Neurology 60:304, 1978.

[25] 25. TROJABORG W. & PETERSEN E. - Visual and somatosensory evoked cortical potentials in multiple sclerosis. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. (London) 42:323, 1979.

[26] 26. WIEDERHOLT W. C. - Early components of the somatosensory evoked potential in man, cat and rat. In: Clinical Uses of Cerebral, Brainstem and Spinal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials, Prog. clin. Neurophysiol. vol 7, Ed. J. E. Desmedt 105-117, Karger, Basel, 1980.