Journal of clinical neurophysiology : official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society
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J Clin Neurophysiol · Jun 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialDifferences in spinothalamic function of cervical and thoracic dermatomes: insights using contact heat evoked potentials.
After spinal cord injury, contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) may represent a means to refine the clinical assessment of sensory function from each spinal cord segment by quantifying nociception, including conduction along the spinothalamic tract. ⋯ The study supports CHEPs as a feasible tool for assessing discrete dermatomes corresponding to spinal cord segments. The results suggest that the proximodistal pattern in the intensity of perceived pain and CHEP amplitudes is likely attributable to the distribution of heat nociceptors and the increase in conduction distance from proximal to distal dermatomes. The present findings emphasize on the importance that if patients are assessed segment by segment, the underlying topographical differences need to be accounted for.