title: Clinical correlates of brain-stem auditory evoked potential variables in multiple sclerosis. Relation to click polarity.
abstract: The correlations between clinical signs and BAEP latency, amplitude and dispersion variables were investigated in 98 multiple sclerosis patients. A new dispersion variable, the wave IV-V "shape ratio" (SR IV-V), correlated most strongly with brain-stem signs (i.e., nystagmus). Severely reduced wave IV-V amplitude was frequently found in patients with vertical nystagmus or internuclear ophthalmoplegia, and interpeak latency (IPL) III-V correlated most strongly with cerebellar dysfunction (i.e., ataxia). The results may reflect different localizing ability among the various BAEP variables. The association between ataxia and increased IPL III-V was significantly stronger for BAEP to C clicks than to R clicks. Patients with abnormal BAEPs to one polarity (C or R) but not to the other, had significantly more clinical dysfunction than patients with normal BAEPs to both C and R clicks. Hence, C vs. R discordance may be interpreted to indicate possible brain-stem dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Regionsykehuset, Norway.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001259:Ataxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000503:physiopathology; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D009886:Ophthalmoplegia / Q000503:physiopathology; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology