Studies on the factors affecting the recording of somatosensory evoked potentials induced by tibial nerve stimulation in dogs.

Since spinal cord abnormalities are often associated with lesion in the thoracic or lumber vertebrae, examination of Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) induced by hind limb nerve stimulation will be useful. In the experiment, scalp recorded SEP in dogs by tibial nerve stimulation was studied on the distribution, the change of latency by body size and the influence of experimental compression to the spinal cord. Greatest response was got at Fz, and shorter latencies for SEP recorded on the ipsilateral stimulation side than from the contralateral side. The equation describing the regression line of the latency with the distance to the recording site from stimulating site was Y = 0.072X+13.23 and the regression was statistically significant. In the experimental study of compression to spinal cord, dorsal compression tended to be sensitive compared to the ventral compression. This study suggested that not only increase of latency but also reduction of amplitude could occur as a result of spinal cord disorders.