Clinical application of the central somatosensory conduction time (CCT)

We tried to prove the usefulness of CCT as an index of cerebral functions. CCT, regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and CT scan findings were studied in 213 neurological patients with CVD (66 cases), cerebral tumors (66 cases) and head traumas (81 cases). The technique of CCT recording was modified from that of Jones (1977) using CADWELL 5200 system. CCT was defined as the difference of the peak latency between N13 recorded at the C-7 vertebral electrode and N20 recorded at the somatosensory cortex. The control CCT in normal volunteers (N = 20) was 5.7 +/- 0.4 msec. RCBF was measured with 133 Xe intra carotid injection method of Lassen & Ingvar using gammacamera (DEC GAMM 11/34). CCT tended significantly to become more prolonged in affected hemisphere than in unaffected hemisphere of patients with three groups (CVD, tumor and trauma) (p less than 0.01). Forty percent reduction of control rCBF caused a prolongation of CCT over 7 msec. The degrees of CCT prolongations appeared to be proportional to the degree of rCBF diminution. Prolongation of CCT was remarkable in the side of low density area on CT scan. The prolongation of CCT were revealed in the patients before they did not manifest their neurological deficits especially in the disease of metastatic tumors and glioma. In the case of patients with trauma who we could follow to measure rCBF, CCT tended to become shorten as rCBF increased till normal range. CCT was not significantly prolonged in congenital hydrocephalus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)