Comparison of the averaged evoked cisterna cerebellomedullaris potential, cortical potential, and neurologic examination in the diagnosis of spinal cord injury of the dog.

Average cerebrocortical potentials (ECP) and cisterna cerebellomedullaris potentials (ECMP), evoked by ulnar and sciatic nerve stimulation, were compared with neurologic examination to evaluate their accuracy in the diagnosis of the degree of experimental spinal injury in 24 Beagles. The dogs were divided into 2 equal groups. Various impact forces were applied to the spinal cord at L1 of 1 group of dogs and various degrees of compression forces were applied to the spinal cord at L1 of the other group of dogs. The degrees of functional loss in both groups of dogs extended from mild to complete. The dogs were untreated and monitored for 30 days after injury. A short-acting barbiturate was compared with a long-acting barbiturate as the means of anesthesia; both were found to permit similar production of ECP and ECMP. The ECMP was found to be a more sensitive, more easily interpreted, and more consistent means of evaluating the degree of spinal injury than the ECP or the neurologic examination.