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Subpially recorded cervical spinal cord evoked potentials in syringomyelia
B Prestor1, T Zgur, V V Dolenc
1University Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.
Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Spinal cord evoked potentials (SCEPs) in patients with syringomyelia show altered N13 waves and missing N2/P potentials. These changes indicate dorsal horn neuron destruction due to central cavitation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Cervical syringomyelia involves spinal cord cavitation, potentially affecting sensory pathways.
- Intraoperative monitoring is crucial for spinal cord surgeries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alterations in spinal cord evoked potentials (SCEPs) in patients with cervical syringomyelia.
- To compare SCEP characteristics in syringomyelia patients with normal controls during surgery.
Main Methods:
- Subpial detection of median nerve-stimulated SCEPs from the cervical spinal cord dorsal surface.
- Comparison of SCEP waveforms in 5 syringomyelia patients versus 6 control patients undergoing dorsal root entry zone lesion monitoring.
Main Results:
- Patients with syringomyelia exhibited absent N13 waves and reduced amplitude/duration of SCEPs.
- Low amplitude short (LAS) potentials were observed, but N2 and P potentials were absent in all syringomyelia cases.
- Preoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were present in 4 patients, but SCEP findings remained abnormal.
Conclusions:
- Altered N13, N2, and P potentials in syringomyelia-affected SCEPs suggest dorsal horn neuron damage.
- Spinal cord central cavitation in syringomyelia is the likely cause of these neurophysiological changes.