title: A review of neurophysiological testing.
abstract: The rapid advances in the technology of, and accumulation of pertinent data in, electrophysiological testing has increased exponentially in the past decade. This is attributable to continued advances in computer technology, biomedical engineering, and now the coregistration of the electrophysiological data with neuroimaging results. Knowledge of normal function and electrophysiological response at rest or on stimulation of the central and peripheral nervous systems is important to the neurosurgeon. Only by a basic understanding of normal and abnormal recordings may diagnoses and localizations be achieved. Intraspinal and intracranial surgical procedures are predicated on nontrauma to the neuraxis. This can be accomplished by performing electrophysiological testing to monitor the function of the spinal and cranial nerves, spinal cord, brainstem, basal ganglia, and cerebrum. If the surgeon cannot delineate critical cortex or pathways, he or she will be unable to avoid these areas in the patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA. lehmanrm@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lehman
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000294:innervation; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000379:methods; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed