This experimental study was designed to evalute the effectiveness of intramuscular administration of dexamethasone and exogenous ganglioside on the recovery of somatosensory evoked potential(SSEP) in the acute compression neuropathy, Experimental compression neuropathy was made by mechanical compression of surgically exposed sciatic nerves of sixty rabbits.

Sixty adult rabbits divided into there groups (control group, dexamethasone group, and ganglioside group) were studied. P1 amplitude and P1 latency of SSEP were measured at pre-injury, just after injury, and eight times every three days till twenty-four days after the injury. Data of P1 amplitudes and latencies of SSEP obtained from fourty nine rabbits survived were analyzed statistically.

Correlations of P1 amplitude change of SSEP were higher than those of P1 latency of SSEP in all 3 groups, P1 amplitude of SSEP was better measurement then the latency in evaluating recovery of compression neuropathy by SSEP The slope of the regression line was considered at the recovery rate of P1 amplitude and latency of latency of SEEP for the 3 groups of the animals. The recovery rate of P1 amplitudes of SEEP was greater in dexamethasone group than ganglioside and control group. with significant difference among the 3 groups, But the recovery rate of P1 latercies of SSEP was not significantly different among the 3 groups

It is concluded that experimental neuropathy may produce axonal degeneration and transient local demyelination. Dexamethasone and ganglioside may facilitate the recovery of axonal regeneration than myelin regeneration. And dexamethasone may be more effective than ganglioside in the neural recovery.