Author/Editor		Klopčič-Spevak, M; Prevec, TS
Title		Sympathetic skin response of arm in assessing spared spinal afferents in paraplegia
Type		članek
Source		In: Stalberg EV, de Weerd AW, Zidar J, editors. ECCN 98. 9th European congress of clinical neurophysiology; 1998 Jun 4-7; Ljubljana. Bologna: Monduzzi editore,
Publication year		1998
Volume		str. 185-8
Language		eng
Abstract		Sympathetic skin response (SSR) was recorded on the arm proximal to the spinal cord injury (SCI) to electrical stimulation of nerves below the level of the SCI lesion in order to demonstrate spared spinal afferents in paraplegia. Electrical stimulation tended to be dermatomal; lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (L3), saphenous nerve (L4), superficial peroneal nerve (L5), sural nerve (S1), dorsal nerve of penis/clitoris (S2). The SSR results were compared with the results of recording of somatosensory cortical evoked potentials (SsCEPs), to electrical stimulation at the same sites. Out of 7 patients with clinically complete SCI SSR and SsCEPs were not recordable in 6 of them. In one patient hand SSR was recorded to the stimulation of the dorsal nerve of the penis (no perception of stimuli was present). Out of 13 patients with incomplete SCI, hand SSR was recorded in 12 patients while SsCEP was recorded in 6 patients only. In 6 patients with recordable SSR and SsCEP weak electrical stimuli (0.2ms, 150V) were sufficient to obtain responses. In 6 cases with unrecordable SsCEP, measurable SSR were obtained only by the stronger electrical stimuli (1ms, 300V). Only in onepatient with clinically incomplete SCI both SSR and SsCEP were not recordable. It seems that in SCI patients the preserved afferent functions can more often be demonstrated by SSR than by SsCEP. In addition, the recording of SSR is technically less demanding. It takes less time and fewer limitations are caused by spasticity.
Descriptors		SPINAL CORD INJURIES PARAPLEGIA EVOKED POTENTIALS, SOMATOSENSORY NEUROPHYSIOLOGY