Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Evaluation of Respiratory Muscle Activation Using Respiratory Motor Control Assessment RMCA in Individuals with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: July 19, 2013
Corticobulbar motor evoked potentials from tongue muscles used as a control in cervical spinal surgery
Dong-Gun Kim1, Seong-Rae Jo1, Minjung Youn1
1Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Objective:
Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) changes might be caused to the non-surgically induced factors during cervical spinal surgery. Therefore, control MEPs recorded cranially to the exit of the C5 root are highly recommendable in cervical spinal surgery. We studied whether corticobulbar MEPs (C-MEPs) from tongue muscle could be used as a control MEPs in cervical spinal surgery.
Methods:
Twenty-five consecutive cervical spinal surgeries were analyzed. Stimulation of motor area for tongue was done by subcutaneous electrodes placed at C3/C4 (10-20 EEG System), and recording was done from both sides of tongue.
Results:
C-MEPs were recorded successfully 24 out of the 25 (96%) tested patients. Forty-six out of fifty MEPs (92%) from tongue muscles were monitorable from the baseline. In two patients, we could obtain only unilateral C-MEPs. Mean MEPs latencies obtained from the left and right side of the tongue were 11.5 ± 1 ms and 11.5 ± 0.8 ms, respectively.
Conclusions:
Monitoring C-MEPs from tongue muscles might be useful control in cervical spinal surgery. They were easily elicited and relatively free from phenomenon of peripheral stimulation of the hypoglossal nerves.
Significance:
This is first study to identify the usefulness of C-MEPs as a control of cervical spinal surgery.
Related Concept Videos
Hierarchy of Motor Control
Tongue
Anatomical Position in the Oral Cavity
The tongue is located within the oral cavity, also known as the mouth. It is attached to the floor of the mouth by a fold of mucous membrane called the...
Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles
Like neurons, muscle cells are also regarded as excitable due to their capacity to change in response to stimuli, primarily due to voltage-gated ion channels embedded in their plasma membranes, which get activated by alterations in the...
Controlled-Potential Coulometry: Electrolytic Methods
The chosen potential...
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
The Tongue and Taste Buds

