title: The application of somatosensory evoked potentials in spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For a therapeutic intervention after spinal cord injury (SCI), it is important to take accurate and objective assessment tools.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the practicability of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) scale and describe the rehabilitation value of SEPs in different degrees of SCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six SCI patients were enrolled in this study. All the patients received comprehensive rehabilitation treatment, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, functional electrical stimulation, and psychotherapy. The nerve function of the spinal cord was assessed by SEPs, the activities of daily living (ADL) was evaluated by MBI scale, and SEP recordings and MBI scores were obtained before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were statistically significant differences in SEPs latency among different grades of SCI before treatment. The SEPs latency after treatment was better than that before treatment in every grade (p < 0.05). Comparable differences among different grades were also detected by MBI scores before treatment (p < 0.05), and the MBI scores increased significantly after treatment (p < 0.05), higher in each group than another from grade A to B, C, and D. There was a linear correlation between SEPs latency and MBI scores before and after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SEPs combined with MBI scale could objectively reflect the SCI degree and accurately monitor therapeutic intervention in SCI. SEPs have a greater value in monitoring SCI than MBI and their rehabilitation value varies in different grades of SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Caizhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chunlei
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beibei
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhiqing
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qinneng
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tong
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D062187:Spinal Cord Stimulation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Modified Barthel Index; Spinal cord injury; activities of daily living; outcome; rehabilitation treatment; somatosensory evoked potentials