Conduction characteristics of somatosensory evoked potentials to peroneal, tibial and sural nerve stimulation in man.

Lumbar spine and scalp short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) to stimulation of the posterior tibial, peroneal and sural nerves at the ankle (PTN-A, PN-A, SN-A) and common peroneal nerve at the knee (CPN-K) were obtained in 8 normal subjects. Peripheral nerve conduction velocities and lumbar spine to cerebral cortex propagation velocities were determined and compared. These values were similar with stimulation of the 3 nerves at the ankle but were significantly greater with CPN-K stimulation. CPN-K and PTN-A SSEPs were recorded from the L3, T12, T6 and C7 spines and the scalp in 6 normal subjects. Conduction velocities were determined over peripheral nerve-cauda equina (stimulus-L3), caudal spinal cord (T12-T6) and rostral spinal cord (T6-C7). Propagation velocities were determined from each spinal level to the cerebral cortex. With both CPN-K and PTN-A stimulation the speed of conduction over peripheral nerve and spinal cord was non-linear. It was greater over peripheral nerve-cauda equina and rostral spinal cord than over caudal cord segments. The CPN-K response was conducted significantly faster than the PTN-A response over peripheral nerve-cauda equina and rostral spinal cord but these values were similar over caudal cord. Spine to cerebral cortex propagation velocities were significantly greater from all spine levels with CPN-K stimulation. These data show that the conduction characteristics of SSEPs over peripheral nerve, spinal cord and from spine to cerebral cortex are dependent on the peripheral nerve stimulated.