The Somatosensory Evoked Potential Predicts Neurologic Deficits and Serotonergic Pathochemistry After Spinal Distraction Injury in Experimental Scoliosis

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Abstract
The validity of the somatosensory evoked potential as an intraoperative spinal cord monitor was evaluated in an experimental model of scoliosis in the rat and a Harrington distraction model of injury. Under these conditions, it was found that any change in latency or amplitude of the major negative wave above a certain level was a significant predictor of an adverse neurologic outcome. Changes in latency of 4% or greater and changes in amplitude of 50% or greater were unequivocal indicators of spinal cord injury. Postmortem analyses of the spinal neurotransmitter serotonin revealed that apparent false-positive results of the SEP were, in fact, true-positive results.