Descending and ascending spinal cord evoked potentials from oesophago-vertebral electrical stimulation in normal awake man.

Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord at C7D1 evoked triphasic descending spinal cord evoked potentials (DSCEP) from an oesophago-vertebral recording at D8D8 or D1OD1O. Ascending SCEPs (ASCEP) larger and similar in shape were also observed when the orientation of the stimulating and recording dipoles was reversed. Both SCEPs are in part generated by descending and ascending synchronous excitation of neuronal volume-conducted spinal cord dipoles.