[Effect of hemodialysis on somatosensory evoked potentials in uremia patients]

Spinal and cortical potentials in response to unilateral stimulation of the median nerve of the wrist were recorded in 13 uremic patients, 1 h prior to and 1 h after dialysis. A comparison of the data from these patients with those of a control group revealed a slowing of impulse conduction in the peripheral nerve only, whereas the central part of the somatosensory system was not affected. Amplitudes of the evoked potentials tended to increase after dialysis. This could be due to a decrease of descending inhibition or a transitory change of the resting membrane potential caused by the elimination of dialyzable substances.