Monitoring somatosensory evoked potentials in spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury

Neural Regen Res, 2013 · DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.33.002 · Published: November 1, 2013

Spinal Cord Injury Physiology Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the use of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) to monitor spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits. SSEPs are electrical responses of the nervous system to specific stimuli and can indicate the integrity of neural pathways. The researchers occluded the abdominal aorta in rabbits to induce spinal cord ischemia and then monitored changes in SSEP latency and amplitude during ischemia and after reperfusion. They found that SSEP latency was prolonged, and amplitude decreased during ischemia. After reperfusion, the amplitude and latency of SSEPs gradually recovered, but severe hindlimb motor dysfunction was observed. This suggests that SSEP latency reflects the degree of ischemic injury, while amplitude variations indicate late reperfusion injury.

Study Duration

January 2011 to January 2012

Participants

30 New Zealand rabbits

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Somatosensory evoked potential latency was significantly prolonged during spinal cord ischemia, reflecting the degree of ischemic injury.
2
Somatosensory evoked potential amplitude variations were indicators of late spinal cord reperfusion injury and correlated with hindlimb motor function.
3
Restoration of somatosensory evoked potential latency does not necessarily indicate synchronous recovery of spinal cord function, particularly motor function.

Research Summary

This study monitored spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits using somatosensory evoked potential detection technology. The results showed that the somatosensory evoked potential latency was significantly prolonged and the amplitude significantly reduced until it disappeared during the period of spinal cord ischemia. After reperfusion for 30–180 minutes, the amplitude and latency began to gradually recover; at 360 minutes of reperfusion, the latency showed no significant difference compared with the pre-ischemic value, while the somatosensory evoked potential amplitude increased, and severe hindlimb motor dysfunctions were detected. Experimental findings suggest that changes in somatosensory evoked potential latency can reflect the degree of spinal cord ischemic injury, while the amplitude variations are indicators of the late spinal cord reperfusion injury, which provide evidence for the assessment of limb motor function and avoid iatrogenic spinal cord injury.

Practical Implications

Intraoperative Monitoring

Somatosensory evoked potentials can be used for intraoperative monitoring to detect early accidental spinal cord injury during orthopedic surgery, helping to avoid irreversible damage.

Assessment of Spinal Cord Function

Monitoring both somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials is crucial for comprehensively assessing spinal cord function and reducing false negatives/positives.

Understanding Reperfusion Injury

Changes in somatosensory evoked potential amplitude can indicate the potential occurrence of reperfusion injury, allowing for timely protective measures to reduce spinal cord damage.

Study Limitations

1
The study was conducted on rabbits, and the results may not be directly applicable to humans.
2
The evaluation of hindlimb motor function was based on a self-made limb movement function criteria, which may have limitations in objectivity.
3
The study primarily focused on somatosensory evoked potentials, and further investigation is needed to integrate motor evoked potentials for a more comprehensive assessment of spinal cord function.

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