title: Somatosensory and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in neurodegenerative system disorders.
abstract: Brainstem auditory (BAEP) and somatosensory (SEP) evoked potentials to median and peroneal nerve stimulation were investigated in 25 patients with neurodegenerative system disorders: 9 Friedreich's ataxia, 7 hereditary motor sensory neuropathies, 3 familial spastic paraplegia, 3 olivopontocerebellar atrophy, 1 ataxia telangiectasia and 1 abetalipoproteinemia. BAEPs were abnormal in 39%, SEPs to both upper- and lower-limb stimulation were abnormal in 63%. Serial evoked potential testing paralleled the clinical progression. SEPs were more frequently and severely altered than BAEPs suggesting that SEP testing may be a more sensitive indicator of early involvement of afferent pathways in these disorders.
mesh_terms: D000012:Abetalipoproteinemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001260:Ataxia Telangiectasia / Q000175:diagnosis; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D002607:Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009849:Olivopontocerebellar Atrophies / Q000175:diagnosis; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000235:genetics