MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIAL

Course overview

MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS MONITOR THE INTEGRITY OF MOTOR PATHWAYS DURING SURGICAL PROCEDURES INVOLVING THE BRAIN, SPINE, AND AORTA. TRANSCRANIAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IS APPLIED THROUGH ELECTRODES PLACED ON THE SCALP, WHILE RESPONSES ARE RECORDED IN PERIPHERAL MUSCLE GROUPS. MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS ARE DEGRADED BY MOST ANESTHETICS AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO ALTERATIONS IN ANESTHETIC DEPTH. CHANGES IN THE AMPLITUDE OR LATENCY OF MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS CAN INDICATE AN IMPENDING NEUROLOGIC INJURY AND SHOULD TRIGGER AN INVESTIGATION OF SURGICAL, ANESTHETIC, OR PHYSIOLOGIC EXPLANATIONS FOR SIGNAL CHANGES. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INTRAOPERATIVE USE OF MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAMS IN IMPROVING THE CARE OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING MONITORING WITH MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS.