Question

Evoked potential monitoring:
Types of Different Evoked Potential Monitoring Techniques.

Hint:

Different types of evoked potentials (SSEPs, MEPs, VEPs, and AEPs) provide crucial information on the functional integrity of neural pathways during neurosurgery.

Answer 1

Evoked potential (EP) monitoring includes several techniques that assess the integrity of sensory and motor pathways. Each technique has its specific uses in various types of surgery, providing valuable real-time information to the surgical team.
Step 1: Types of Evoked Potential Monitoring Techniques:
1. Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEPs): SSEPs measure the electrical activity of the brain in response to sensory stimuli (typically electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves). They are used to monitor the integrity of sensory pathways, especially during spinal surgeries or brainstem surgeries.
2. Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs): MEPs are used to assess motor pathways by stimulating the motor cortex and measuring muscle responses. They are particularly useful for monitoring spinal cord function during surgeries such as scoliosis correction or spinal cord tumor resection.
3. Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs): VEPs assess the visual pathway by stimulating the retina and recording responses from the visual cortex. These are used in surgeries involving the optic nerve or the visual cortex.
4. Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEPs): AEPs evaluate the auditory pathway by using sound stimuli and monitoring responses in the brainstem. They are used during brainstem or ear surgeries to monitor auditory nerve function.