Contact heat evoked potentials as a tool to study the lumbar region: normative data

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to establish normal CHEPs data from the lumbar region.

Methods: Healthy subjects underwent CHEPs stimuli, being applied on lumbar (L1), and recorded in Cz and Pz, according to the standard technique. All the patients were divided by age and gender. We measured the influences of verbal rating scale (VRS) as well as age on N2-P2 amplitudes. Similarly, we tested the effect of height and age on N2 and P2 latencies. The 5^th percentile for amplitudes and 95^th percentile for latencies were also calculated.

Results: 36 patients were enrolled in this study. Only 1 out of 36 patient was excluded for not having recordable CHEPs. Differently from some studies, no impact of VRS and height was found on the variables N2-P2 amplitudes and N2 and P2 latencies, respectively. Although larger amplitudes and shorter latencies had been uncovered for females, no statistically significant differences were found. However, age was significantly correlated to N2-P2 amplitudes, N2 and P2 latencies over L1. Normative data was similar to the published for other centers.

Conclusion: we provided normative data for CHEPs usage in the study of lumbar pathologies. Age was the only element of influence in the CHEPs parameters

Significance: CHEPs may be regarded a valuable method to assess small fiber impairment in patients with lumbar pathologies.