title: [Significance of abnormally high somatosensory evoked potentials (SEV)].
abstract: Data found in the literature and our own observations prompted us to consider the possibility that abnormally enlarged Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SEPs) may have a diagnostic and physiopathological significance, particularly in a group of diseases which include common clinical features of encephalopathy with stimuli-sensitive myoclonus and epilepsy, whatever their etiology may be (degenerative or storage disease, metabolic, toxic or post-hypoxic encephalopathy...). We discuss the amplitude, morphology, diagnostic and therapeutic contribution of these 'giant' SEPs and pathogenic assumptions with reference to 'cortical reflex myoclonus'. Studies of back-averaged encephalogram, SEPs and long-loop reflexes allow some illustration of a functional hyperreactivity of the sensori-motor cortex, but no conclusive demonstration of its origin.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D013577:Syndrome
vernacular_title: Signification des potentiels évoqués somesthésiques (PES) d'amplitude anormalement élevée.