title: Hypothermia after CPR prolongs conduction times of somatosensory evoked potentials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the effect of mild hypothermia on conduction times and amplitudes of median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients treated with hypothermia after CPR who underwent SEP recording during hypothermia and after rewarming were selected from a prospectively collected database. Latencies and amplitudes of N9 (peripheral conduction time, PCT), N13, and N20 were measured. The central conduction time (CCT) was defined as peak-peak latency N13-N20. Recordings of 25 patients were assessed by a second observer to determine the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 115 patients were included. The mean body temperature at SEP during hypothermia was 33.1 °C (SD 0.8) and after rewarming 37.1 °C (SD 0.8). Mean latencies of N9, N13, and N20 and mean CCT were longer during hypothermia. There were no consistent differences in amplitudes. There was an almost perfect ICC for assessment of latencies and amplitudes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that PCT and CCT of median nerve SEP were prolonged during treatment with hypothermia after CPR compared with after rewarming. Amplitudes did not differ consistently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Room C3-423, Academic Medical Center, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.bouwes@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouwes
authors.forename: Patty G G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Doesborg
authors.forename: D Martin
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Laman
authors.forename: Johannes H T M
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Koelman
authors.forename: Jaap G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Imanse
authors.forename: Selma C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tromp
authors.forename: Björn M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: van Geel
authors.forename: Elly L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: van der Kooi
authors.forename: Eveline G J
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Zandbergen
authors.forename: Janneke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D003128:Coma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D017694:Rewarming / Q000379:methods; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*