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Nociception‐related somatosensory evoked potentials in awake dogs recorded after intra epidermal electrical stimulation
Author(s) -
Oostrom Hugo,
Stienen Peter J.,
Doornenbal Arie,
Hellebrekers Ludo J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejpain.2008.03.015
Subject(s) - nociception , somatosensory system , stimulation , somatosensory evoked potential , anesthesia , medicine , neuroscience , psychology , receptor
At present, the specific neurophysiologic methodology of recording pain‐related evoked potentials is considered a most promising approach to objectively quantify pain in man. This study was designed to characterise and evaluate the use of somatosensory evoked potentials to study nociception in a canine model. To this aim, somatosensory evoked potentials were evoked by intra‐epidermal electrical stimulation and recorded from the scalp in 8 beagle dogs. Characteristics determined were: (1) the conduction velocities of the peripheral nerve fibres involved, (2) the stimulus intensity response characteristics and (3) the evaluation of possible disturbance of the signals by muscular activity from the hind paw withdrawal reflex (EMG artefact). The results showed (1) the conduction velocities to be in the A‐delta fibre range (i.e. fibres involved in nociception), (2) an increase in amplitude and a decrease in latency of the evoked potential following increasing stimulus intensities and (3) the absence of EMG artefact in the signals. These data indicate that the evoked potentials recorded, are related to nociception and thus are suited to quantitatively characterise the perception of noxious stimuli making this model useful for pain‐ and analgesia‐related research.