It is important to know the prognosis of patients with diffuse axonal injury for planning of rehabilitation program. This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic value of Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) in patients with diffuse axonal injury.
Glasgow coma scale (GCS), Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) are categorized into two groups separately and brain computerized tomography (Brain CT) findings are classified into 6 categories.
We studied the correlation of the median nerve and posterior tibial nerve SEP and Glasgow coma scale (GCS), brain computerized tomogram (Brain CT) and Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) in 47 patients with diffuse axonal injury. The SEP findings that concerned are P1 latency and P1N1 amplitude were divided in 3 categories: no response (0), abnormal response (I), normal response (II).
The results were as follows:
1) SEP had a good correlation with GCS and brain CT.
2) Normal findings of SEP study had good prognosis.
3) SEP had a good correlation with GOS.
Thus, SEP were help to predict the outcome in acute stage and during the course of diffuse axonal injured patients rather than brain computerized tomography on admission.
4) Follow-up study of SEP were more valuable prognostic factor in diffuse axonal injured patients.
