Somatosensory Evoked Potentials in the Diagnosis of Cervical Spondilotic Myelopathy

Background. The development of an effective neurophysiological algorithm for assessing the conduction of sensory impulses in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) remains relevant. Objectives. To determine the informativeness of somatosensory evoked potential parameters for assessing spinal cord afferent function disorders in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Material and methods. The function of afferent conduction in the spinal cord in the presence of vertebrogenic compression was studied in 25 patients with MRI-verified CSM using the method of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). The comparison group consisted of 17 healthy individuals. Results. The amplitude and time parameters of spinal (N11, N13) and cortical (N20) SSEP peaks were statistically significantly changed in patients with CSM compared to the control group. The type of the disturbance of the electrophysiological pattern indicated a decreased function of sensory impulse conduction in the cervical spinal segments as well as suprasegmental afferent tracts. Conclusion. Electrophysiological parameters of the SSEP components are an objective criterion for assessing the impairment of the afferent function of the spinal cord in CSM.