Prediction of postoperative motor deficits using intraoperative motor-evoked potentials in middle cerebral artery

Dongze Guo1, Xing Fan1, Hao You1

  • 1Department of Neurophysiology, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, 119 Fanyang Road, Beijing, 100070, China.

Neurosurgical Review
|January 23, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) monitoring during middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm surgery can predict motor deficits. A MEP change duration exceeding 8.5 minutes significantly increases the risk of postoperative motor dysfunction.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Neurology
  • Medical Monitoring

Background:

  • Middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms pose a risk of neurological deficits after surgical treatment.
  • Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) are utilized during surgery to monitor neural integrity.
  • Predicting postoperative motor deficits is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between the duration of reduced MEPs and the occurrence of postoperative motor deficits in MCA aneurysm patients.
  • To identify a critical MEP change duration threshold for predicting motor dysfunction.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of MEP monitoring in preventing ischemic brain injury during MCA aneurysm surgery.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 285 patients undergoing clipping surgery for MCA aneurysms with MEP monitoring.
  • Assessment of the relationship between MEP changes (reversible vs. irreversible) and postoperative motor function.
  • Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the critical duration of MEP changes.

Main Results:

  • Motor dysfunction was significantly associated with the presence of MEP changes.
  • Patients experiencing irreversible MEP changes had a higher likelihood of motor dysfunction.
  • A critical MEP deterioration duration of 8.5 minutes was identified as a predictor of postoperative motor dysfunction.

Conclusions:

  • MEP monitoring is an effective tool for preventing ischemic brain injury during MCA aneurysm surgery.
  • A MEP deterioration duration of 8.5 minutes serves as a critical cutoff for predicting postoperative motor deficits.
  • This finding aids in optimizing surgical strategies and patient management for MCA aneurysms.

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