Effect of epidural clonidine on somatosensory evoked potentials to dermatomal stimulation

The effect of lumbar epidural clonidine 150 micrograms on early (less than 0.5 s) somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) to electrical stimulation of the L1 and S1 dermatomes was examined in twelve cancer patients. Epidural clonidine led to a minor but significant decrease in amplitude of two components (N1 and N3) following S1 stimulation while SEP latency was prolonged only in the P1 and P3 components (P less than 0.05). In all patients the pain score decreased, mean score at rest from 4.9 +/- 0.5 to 0.6 +/- 0.2 and during mobilization from 7.4 +/- 0.6 to 1.3 +/- 0.5 (P less than 0.01). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased from 118 +/- 4/72 +/- 5 mmHg to 99 +/- 5/60 +/- 3 mmHg (P less than 0.01), respectively. It is concluded that epidural clonidine has a minor effect on the early SEPs to electrical dermatomal stimulation. Additionally, a pronounced effect on cancer pain was seen.