Comparison of median and posterior tibial nerve somatosensory evoked potentials in ambulatory patients with definite multiple sclerosis

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded for stimulation of both median nerves and both posterior tibial nerves in control subjects and in subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) of several years' duration, who were ambulatory and not experiencing exacerbation. Documentation of peripheral nerve conduction revealed no abnormalities in any of the subjects. Centrally, abnormal responses to median and posterior tibial nerve stimulation were found at the spinal level and/or the scalp in nearly all MS patients. Using the latency of the initial negativity of scalp SEPs, posterior tibial SEPs were abnormal significantly more often than median SEPs. Calculations suggested a significant increase in spinal conduction time. The high incidence of abnormal SEPs does not support any substantial physiological recovery in this group of MS patients.