[Clinical applications of somatosensory evoked potentials for cervical cord lesions]

Measurement of interpeak latencies and evaluation of peak forms with added measurement of Nll besides N9, N13 and N20 and with utilization of normal standard values of interpeak latencies in 20 healthy persons proved to be useful for diagnosing the level responsible for neurological manifestations in cases with multiple cervical cord compressions, in such cases as multiple sclerosis without mechanical compression and also for differential diagnosis of incipient motor neuron disease from cervical spondylosis with muscle atrophy. It also proved that elongation of the interpeak latencies between N9-N11 evoked by stimulating the median and ulnar nerve at the wrist level occurred only when more than one cervical cord segment receiving median and ulnar nerve fibers was afflicted.