Cortical somatosensory evoked potentials in response to hand stimulation.

Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded from chronically implanted subdural electrodes in six patients with intractable seizures. The following conclusions were reached: 1) The initial cortical negativity-positivity (N1 with a latency of about 20 msec and P2 with a latency of about 24 msec) recorded in the postcentral area was an expression of the classical primary surface positivity, but N1 was generated by the posterior pole of an early horizontal dipole in area 3b, and P2 was generated by the positive pole of a slightly delayed vertical dipole in area 1 and 2.2) P2 permitted the most accurate localization of the primary somatosensory area. 3) No potentials were elicited in the primary somatosensory area by stimulation of the ipsilateral hand. 4) No cortical potentials were seen at stimulation intensities below the sensory threshold. The cortical distribution of evoked potentials evoked by weak and strong intensities had significantly different distribution. 5) The recovery function of cortical evoked potentials showed a U-curve with an early period of facilitation (10 to 30 msec) followed by a prolonged period of subnormality which peaked at about 50 msec. The recovery curve at different cortical loci differed.