Early somatosensory evoked potentials in cerebrovascular ischemic diseases. III. Correlations with age, sex, clinical data, EEG, emission and transmission computed tomography

Short latency SEP were investigated in 140 patients suffering from various cerebrovascular ischemic disease (CVD). CCT,AR and number of cortical phases of each stimulation side, as well as AR left to right side (AR l/r) were correlated to patient's age and sex, to diagnosis and vascular supply, to clinical symptoms, duration between stroke and investigation, SPECT, TCT and EEG. Significant correlations were found between CCT and diagnosis, vascular supply, clinical symptoms, duration, SPECT and TCT findings. CCT was prolonged in patients with completed stroke, MID, ischemia of the A.C.M., sensomotor hemiparesis or monoparesis of the upper extremity and lesions in SPECT and TCT located within thalamus and/or postcentral gyrus. Decreased perfusion in SPECT was only of statistical significance when it was combined with clinical symptoms and/or lesions in TCT. Significant correlations were found between AR l/r and all variables except age and sex. Differences in sub-groups corresponded to those found for the CCT. AR was lower at the affected side. Deviations of AR were also found in patients with focal lesions both in the EEG and in the TCT. Significant correlations were found between number of phases, clinical findings and SPECT, but no correlation was seen to TCT. Patients with CVD showed significant abnormalities of CCT and AR only in cases presenting neurological deficit and structural lesion in TCT. The abnormalities were more prominent in patients with an interval stroke-investigation over one year. No abnormalities were seen in patients with reversible symptomatology investigated after cessation of symptoms. A direct correlation may be suspected between number of phases and tracer uptake in SPECT.