Effects of sleep on pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials in humans

We investigated effects of sleep on pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) following painful electrical stimulation of the left index finger. The biggest advantage of this method is that signals ascending through both A-beta fibers relating to touch and A-delta fibers relating to pain can be recorded simultaneously. While the subject was awake, non-painful stimulation evoked early- and middle latency components, N20, P30 and N60, at the C4 electrode, and painful stimulation evoked not only early- and middle latency components at the C4 but also later pain-specific components, N130 and P240, at the Cz electrode. During sleep, N20 and P30 did not show a significant change in amplitude, N60 showed a slight but significant amplitude reduction, and N130 and P240 significantly decreased in amplitude or disappeared, as compared with those while awake. Therefore, we speculate on the mechanisms generating each component as follows; (1) N20 and P30 are the primary components generated in SI ascending through A-beta fibers. (2) N60 is the secondary component generated in SI involving cognitive function to some degree. (3) N130-P240 are the pain-specific components ascending through A-delta fibers, and closely related to cognitive function, because they were much affected by consciousness, different from the components ascending through A-beta fibers.