What can median nerve SSEPs help measure?

Median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) are particularly useful in assessing the functional integrity of the central nervous system pathways, which include the spinal cord and the brain. Specifically, they are valuable in monitoring sensory pathways that carry information from the periphery to the cerebral cortex.

SSEPs measure the electrical activity in the brain in response to sensory stimulation and can indicate the functional status of the neural pathways involved. This is crucial during surgical procedures, particularly in surgeries near the spine or brain where the risk of neural impairment is significant. By observing the characteristics and latency of the SSEPs following median nerve stimulation, clinicians can infer whether there is any compromise to the neural pathways, as changes in the SSEP waveform may signal a change in the integrity of these pathways due to compression, ischemia, or other factors.

While cardiac output, respiratory function, and neuromuscular integrity may be evaluated through different monitoring techniques, median nerve SSEPs specifically focus on the assessment of the sensory pathways within the central nervous system, linking them directly to cerebral blood flow and overall neural integrity. Thus, they are not directly measuring cerebral blood flow, but they can indicate the functioning of the neural pathways that depend on adequate cerebral perfusion for proper signaling and