title: Clinical correlations of motor and somatosensory evoked potentials in neuromyelitis optica.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Motor and somatosensory evoked potentials (MEPs and SSEPs) are sensitive tools for detecting subclinical lesions, assessing disease severity, and determining the prognosis for outcomes of patients with inflammatory neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis. However, their roles in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a severe inflammatory neurological disease that predominantly involves optic nerves and spinal cord, have not yet been clarified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical symptoms and examination findings at relapses of 30 NMO patients were retrospectively reviewed. Abnormal MEPs were observed in 69.2% of patients. Patients with abnormal motor central conduction time (CCT) of the lower limbs had higher Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores than those with normal responses (P = 0.027). Abnormal SSEPs were found in 69.0% of patients. Patients with abnormal lower limb sensory CCT had higher EDSS scores than those with normal responses (P = 0.019). In 28 patients followed up more than 6 months, only one of 11 patients (9.1%) with normal SSEPs of the lower limbs had new relapses within 6 months, whereas 8 of 17 patients (47.1%, P = 0.049) with abnormal SSEPs of the lower limbs had new relapses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate MEPs and SSEPs of the lower limbs are good indicators for the disability status at relapses of NMO. Lower limb SSEPs may be a good tool for reflecting the frequency of relapses of NMO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Chia
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Rong-Kuo
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Long-Sun
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Fen
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chiung-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yih-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Chang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hong-Shiu
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Chao
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Che
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Hsuan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies