Neurológia pre prax 6/2017

Neurophysiologcal methods in diagnosis of spinal cord lesions

Neurophysiological methods are less and less significant contributing to diagnosis of spinal cord lesions in the period of continuous technical improvement of imaging methods such as magnetic resonance, PET/CT, etc. However, their benefit remains in diagnosis, prognosis, evidence of subclinical dysfunction, or clear evidence of a spinal cord lesion that is not apparent on morphological methods. These morphological methods (magnetic resonance imaging, CT, x-ray) reliably determine anatomical proportions in the spinal canal, including structures that are located near the spinal cord and spinal roots. A correlation between morphological and functional methods is required, based on a detailed history and objective clinical finding. Electrophysiological methods can be used to determine dysfunction at the level of the spinal segment, spinal reflex arc, motoneuron or spinal pathways. In this study we present an overview of neurophysiological methods used in the diagnosis of spinal dysfunctions (somatosensory and motor evoked potentials, H reflex and F wave, cutaneous silent period).

Keywords: neurophysiological methods, spinal cord, somatosensory and motor evoked potentials, cutaneous silent period