Brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis: a clinical and electrophysiological study

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Abstract
The diagnostic value of 4 electrophysiological tests in MS [multiple sclerosis] and particularly their effectiveness in detecting signs of brainstem involvement were examined. Auditory brainstem evoked response (ABER), somatosensory evoked response (SSER), blink reflex and electronystagmographic (ENG) investigative methods were applied to a group of 89 patients with definite, probable or possible MS. The 4 methods yielded interdependent data, especially where the brainstem function was concerned. A single demyelinating lesion may cause a combination of electrophysiological disorders within a small structure such as the brainstem. ENG recordings revealed the highest number of asymptomatic abnormalities. The combination of ABER and ENG tests revealed electrophysiological disorders in 81% of all plants. The blink reflex and the SSER tests gave hardly supplementary information.