Somatosensory evoked potentials in patients with cerebral hemorrhage and infarct. Correlation with CT, clinical data and their prognostic significance on limb function.

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) arising from median nerve stimulation were recorded in 102 patients with unilateral cerebral hemorrhage or infarct located in basal ganglion, internal capsule, thalamus or cerebral lobe. Of them 42 cases were followed up and reexamined with SEPs. Three types of SEPs were observed: 1) absence of all SEPs components, 39 cases; 2) slight to moderate abnormalities of SEPs, 37 cases; 3) symmetric and normal SEPs, 26 cases. The total abnormal rate of SEPs was 76.5%. There were no definite correlations between abnormal SEPs and lesion location, size and lesion nature. The diagnosis of cerebral vascular disease might be obtained more directly and precisely by CT scan than by SEPs. However, SEPs may serve as an objective neurophysiologic means in assessing the neurological function of the affected limb, in which their abnormalities and severity are of great value to evaluate the probability and the degree of sensorimotor functional rehabilitation of the limb. When SEPs are absent, the recovery of the limb functions may be very poor no matter whether it is hemorrhage or infarct regardless of its lesion size and location.