Evaluation of spinal somatosensory evoked potentials in cats with traumatic spinal cord injury without deep pain perception

• Published in: Veteriner Fakültesi dergisi Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 41 - 45
• Main Author: Oytun Okan;ŞİRİN, ŞENEL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi 2012
• Subjects: Sağlık Hizmetleri; Tıp; Ankara; Türkiye; trauma; travma; Spinal Cord; spinal kord; uyandırılmış potansiyel; Cat; kedi; evoked potentials
• ISSN: 1300-0861; 1308-2817
• DOI: 10.1501/Vetfak_0000002499

The purpose of this study is to present tibial somatosensory evoked potential findings in 25 cats that naturally acquired traumatic spinal cord injury between T9-L4 vertebrae. Cats without deep pain perception after spinal trauma were included. The potentials recorded from scalp, and one spinal segment caudal and one rostral to the injured site were evaluated as normal, incomplete injury potentials, complete injury potentials, major deformation and isoelectric line. Somatosensory evoked potentials could not be recorded from scalp except for one case in which the latency was 12.4 ms. In caudal area of trauma, normal potentials (n=9), incomplete injury potentials (n=6), complete injury potentials (n=4), major deformation (n= 3), isoelectric line (n=3) were seen. In rostral area of trauma, incomplete injury (n=1) and complete injury potentials (n=2), isoelectric line (n=18), major deformation (n= 3) were seen. In conclusion, rostral part of injured site had more extensive signs of damage which was represented by the isoelectric line, complete injury potentials or major deformation in trace morphology than the caudal area, though caudal area of the injured site was also affected in many cases. The somatosensory evoked and spinal cord evoked potentials can be used as an ancillary diagnostic tool for determination of functional integrity of the ascending tracts of the spinal cord in cats.