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Somatosensory evoked potentials in acute neurological decompression illness
A Murrison1, E Glasspool, J Francis
1Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton University Hospitals, UK.
Journal of Neurology
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) can help diagnose decompression illness (DCI). Abnormal SSEP latency was found in most DCI cases, with some showing improvement after treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurophysiology
Background:
- Decompression illness (DCI) poses diagnostic challenges.
- Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) assess neurological function.
Observation:
- SSEPs were recorded during compression in 21 DCI episodes.
- Recordings were compared to normal subjects and previous data.
Findings:
- Compression did not affect SSEPs in normal volunteers.
- SSEP latency abnormalities were present in 17 of 21 DCI episodes.
- Improvement in SSEPs was observed during treatment in some DCI cases.
Implications:
- SSEPs show potential as a diagnostic tool for DCI.
- Neurophysiological monitoring may aid in DCI assessment and management.