Somatosensory evoked potentials in children with brain ventricular dilatation

To determine possible nerve conduction changes in the somatosensory pathway in children with brain ventricular dilatation and to estimate the relation between the ventricular size and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP).

Twelve children with ventricular dilatation (frontal and occipital horn ratios >0.44) and 19 children without ventricular dilatation (control group), aged between 2 and 15 years, were included in the study. Somatosensory evoked responses to median nerve stimulation were recorded in both groups. Evoked potentials were recorded by silver/silver chloride cup electrodes from Erb's point in the supraclavicular fossa (wave N9), the cervical spine at the C7 vertebral prominence (wave N13), and the scalp above the contralateral sensory cortex at the point C3' or C4', 1 cm behind the C3 or C4 site in the standard 10-20 system (wave N19). Computed tomography scanning was performed to estimate ventricular dilatation.

The conduction time of the central somatosensory pathway (N19-N13 interwave latency) was significantly longer in the children with ventricular dilatation than in the control group (P = 0.046). A statistically significant but weak correlation was found between the frontal and occipital horn ratio values and the N19-N13 interwave latencies in the subjects with enlarged ventricles (r = 0.579, P = 0.045).

Ventricular dilatation is associated with prolonged conduction of the central part of the somatosensory pathway in children. Early detection and treatment of hydrocephalus could be useful in preventing long-term consequences of high intraventricular pressure.