The effect of experimental spinal cord edema on the spinal evoked potential

Experimental spinal cord edema was successfully produced in the cat intumescentia cervicalis by the infusion method of Marmarou. The water content around the infusion site significantly increased to 75.9% from the normal value of 69.8% of white matter in the lateral column, with the infusion of 20 microliters of autoserum. The edema was observed for a length of ca.20 mm, spreading mainly longitudinally in the lateral column. The spinal evoked potential was measured four times on the course of infusion and the N1 peak latency at the end of infusion did not show any significant difference compared to the value before infusion. This model may contribute to basic understanding of pathophysiology of spinal cord edema by changing the nature and the volume of infusate, and the location of infusion, according to the experimental purpose.