title: Visual evoked potentials show strong positive association with intracranial pressure in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the relationship between intracranial pressure and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEP) in patients with cryptococcal meningitis. Method The sample included adults diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis admitted at a reference hospital for infectious diseases. The patients were subjected to F-VEP tests shortly before lumbar puncture. The Pearsons linear correlation coefficient was calculated and the linear regression analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen individuals were subjected to a total of 69 lumbar punctures preceded by F-VEP tests. At the first lumbar puncture performed in each patient, N2 latency exhibited a strong positive correlation with intracranial pressure (r = 0.83; CI = 0.60 - 0.94; p < 0.0001). The direction of this relationship was maintained in subsequent punctures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intracranial pressure measured by spinal tap manometry showed strong positive association with the N2 latency F-VEP in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella, Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Adriano da Cunha Silva
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella, Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria do Amparo Salmito
authors.initials: Mdo A
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Especializada, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dorcas Lamounier
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella, Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kelsen Dantas
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Eulálio
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio, Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Otoni Cardoso do
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Chrystiany Placido de Brito
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Especializada, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique Nery
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D065634:Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak / Q000503:physiopathology; D015170:Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult