Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-10-20
pubmed:abstractText
Evoked potentials (EPs) have been widely utilised in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients to demonstrate the involvement of sensory and motor pathways. Their diagnostic value is based on the ability to reveal clinically silent lesions and to objectivate the central nervous system damage in patients who complain frequently of vague and indefinite disturbances which frequently occurs in the early phases of the disease. The advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques has greatly reduced the clinical utilisation of EPs, which is not fully justifiable, as the information provided by EPs are quite different from those provided by MRI. The abnormalities of evoked responses reflect the global damage of the evoked nervous pathway and are significantly correlated with the clinical findings, while the vast majority of MRI lesions are not associated to symptoms and signs. Transversal and longitudinal studies have demonstrated that EP changes in MS are more strictly related to disability than MRI lesion burden. On the contrary, MRI is more sensitive than EPs in revealing the disease activity. Evoked responses modifications observed in MS are not disease-specific; moreover longitudinal studies showed latency and morphology changes of evoked responses not always related to clinical changes. Such a dissociation can be explained both by technical factors and by subclinical disease activity. To reduce the negative impact of technical aspects, only reproducible parameters of the evoked responses should be used to monitor disease evolution and therapeutic interventions.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
1352-4585
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
5
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
263-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
Measuring evoked responses in multiple sclerosis.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MS Centre, University of Milan, Scientific Institute H San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review