Published in:
Open Access 07-10-2022 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging | Original Communication
Somatosensory evoked potentials and magnetic resonance imaging of the central nervous system in early multiple sclerosis
Published in: Journal of Neurology | Issue 2/2023
Login to get accessAbstract
Background
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) are still broadly used, although not explicitly recommended, for the diagnostic work-up of suspected multiple sclerosis (MS).
Objective
To relate disability, SSEP, and lesions on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with early MS.
Methods
In this monocentric retrospective study, we analyzed a cohort of patients with relapsing–remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome, with a maximum disease duration of two years, as well as with available data on the score at the expanded disability status scale (EDSS), on SSEP, on whole spinal cord (SC) MRI, and on brain MRI.
Results
Complete data of 161 patients were available. Tibial nerve SSEP (tSSEP) were less frequently abnormal than SC MRI (22% vs. 68%, p < 0.001). However, higher EDSS scores were significantly associated with abnormal tSSEP (median, 2.0 vs. 1.0; p = 0.001) but not with abnormal SC MRI (i.e., at least one lesion; median, 1.5 vs. 1.5; p = 0.7). Of the 35 patients with abnormal tSSEP, 32 had lesions on SC MRI, and 2 had corresponding lesions on brain MRI.
Conclusion
Compared to tSSEP, SC MRI is the more sensitive diagnostic biomarker regarding SC involvement. In early MS, lesions as detectable by T2-weighted MRI are the main driver of abnormal tSSEP. However, tSSEP were more closely associated with disability, which is compatible with a potential role of tSSEP as prognostic biomarker in complementation of MRI.