Role of somatosensory evoked potentials in the diagnosis of XXXX : recent advances.

@entity1 @entity6982 @entity75 @entity16 @entity305 @entity4681 @entity3140 @entity1897 @entity5300 @entity854 @entity158 @entity3918 @entity2746
Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) have become an important tool in the investigation of @entity1897 . Electrically evoked SEPs are most suitable because they provide results with small variations and are readily repeatable. Techniques for testing 10 different @entity3140 , dermatomes, cutaneous fibers of trigeminal nerve, and nerves supplying urogenital areas are now available. The established, principal areas of application are in the investigation of @entity5300 , proximal injuries of individual nerves in upper and lower limbs, and @entity158 and in the differential diagnosis of @entity158 caused by psychogenic causes or organic lesions. The techniques have proven to be of value in demonstrating early proximal abnormalities in @entity305 . Abnormalities have occurred in trigeminal nerve lesions, @entity6982 , @entity2746 , and rare @entity16 . @entity854 have also been reported in @entity4681 , @entity3918 , and other conditions. Applications in the diagnosis of @entity75 are not satisfactory; the techniques' usefulness in the investigation of these lesions does not extend beyond aiding the selection of @entity1 for other diagnostic modalities, such as myelography, computed tomography (CT), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. The usefulness of SEP techniques in the diagnosis of @entity1897 will remain, even if advances in organ imaging techniques can provide more specific information about the level and magnitude of lesions in the central nervous system. SEP techniques are an important complement to the other well-established methods, such as clinical testing, electromyography, and nerve conduction studies.
