[Study of afferent conduction in the external saphenous nerve using the method of evoked cerebral potentials]

By the comparison of nerve action potentials and cerebral potentials evoked by the same electrical stimulus the propagation of the somaesthetic impulse to the cerebral cortex can be evaluated. This technique was applied to the fibres of the sural nerve in normal subjects and in patients presenting various lesions of the peripheral and central nervous system. Evoked cerebral potential afforded valuable data when it was not possible to record the nerve action potentials or when the lesion involved the central segment of the afferent pathway.