title: Increased baseline temperature improves the acquisition of contact heat evoked potentials after spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of increasing the skin surface baseline temperature for contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs).
  
  
  METHODS
  CHEPs were studied in healthy subjects and subjects with chronic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) using a conventional 35°C (condition 1) or increased 42-45°C baseline temperature (condition 2). A third condition was used to standardize the contact heat stimulus duration from the different baseline temperatures. Changes in peak latency and N2P2 amplitude of the CHEPs and rating of perceived intensity were examined between conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In healthy subjects, increasing the baseline temperature for contact heat stimulation significantly increased the rating of perceived intensity (conditions 2 and 3), as well as the amplitude of CHEPs (condition 2 only). Following SCI, an increased baseline temperature facilitated perception of contact heat stimulation and evoked potentials could be recorded from dermatomes that were insensitive to contact heat from a conventional baseline temperature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enhancing the acquisition of CHEPs can be achieved by increasing the baseline temperature. This effect can be attributed, in part, to shortening the stimulation duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After SCI, increasing the baseline temperature for CHEPs in dermatomes with absent or diminished sensation improved the neurophysiological resolution of afferent sparing.
authors.affiliation: ICORD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: J L K
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haefeli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curt
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Steeves
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors