[Assessment of intraoperative motor-evoked potentials for predicting postoperative motor function during the surgical clipping of intracranial aneurysms].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the usefulness of monitoring transcranial electrically stimulated motor evoked potential (MEP) and its impact on postoperative motor function after surgical clipping of intracranial aneurysms.

METHODS

A total of 69 aneurysm patients were monitored for MEP during surgery. The postoperative and preoperative neurological function variation and the correlation between them were compared.

RESULTS

MEP deteriorated in 9/68 patients, 6 of the deteriorated MEP returned to normal within 1-40 min, and no new motor deficit emerged. 3 of MEP failed to return to the baseline, which were consistent with postoperative motor function deficit.

CONCLUSION

Changes in MEP could serve as early indication of the cerebral ischemia, predicting postoperative motor function and providing a guide to a safe time for temporary clipping. FNMEP monitoring is a safe and reliable tool for the integrity of facial nerve pathway in giant aneurysm surgery.