Digital nerve somatosensory evoked potentials and MRI. Correlation analysis in patients with symptomatic cervical spine disorders.
OBJECTIVE
Analysis of the relationship between the symptoms, digital nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (D-SEP) and MRI, in patients with symptomatic cervical spine disorders (CSD).


METHODS
MRI and D-SEP following electrical stimulation of digits I, III and V in 44 patients.


RESULTS
Symptoms in the fingers correlated significantly with disk herniation at the corresponding cervical level and with spinal cord impingement at one or two adjacent rostral segments on MRI. D-SEP was abnormal in 52% of all patients. Among them, the groups with multiple and single level involved on MRI had 62% and 30% of abnormal somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), respectively. Digit I-SEP abnormality was more often localized at the root level, while digit V-SEP at the spinal cord level above the dorsal nucleus. D-SEP correlated best with compression of the spinal cord at adjacent upper and especially the most rostral (C3-5) levels on MRI.


CONCLUSIONS
Accurate correlation of D-SEP and symptoms with MRI is essential for correct localization of lesions in patients with CSD.
Kwast-Rabben
O
O
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Unit of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden. olga.kwast.rabben@neuro.umu.se
Libelius
R
R
Heikkilä
H
H
Fagerlund
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000294:innervation* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic