Multivariate analysis of somatosensory evoked potential parameters in normal adults

Cervical and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) to median nerve stimulation were recorded in 65 normal subjects. Absolute peak latencies and amplitudes of cervical components N9, P10, N11, N13, P17, and cortical components P16, N20, P25, and N35 were measured. By means of partial correlations the interdependency of SEP-features could be verified in addition to the well-known dependence on arm length and age. In certain respects our results replicate other studies finding significant correlations between age and latency of early SEP-components as well as inverse relations between age and cervical amplitudes. Further analysis disclosed high inter-correlations between the latencies and between the amplitudes of the cervical and cortical components also revealing a certain exceptional position of the positive wave P17. In contrast to an inverse relation of amplitude and latency of the cervical components there were positive correlations between the respective features in the cortical evoked response. The findings are discussed with regard to the current knowledge about the origins of the SEP-components.