Somatosensory evoked potentials from the thalamic sensory relay nucleus (VPL) in humans: correlations with short latency somatosensory evoked potentials recorded at the scalp

doi:10.1016/0168-5597(87)90026-8

Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section

Volume 68, Issue 3, May 1987, Pages 187-201

https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-5597(87)90026-8 Get rights and content

Abstract

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded in humans from an electrode array which was implanted so that at least two electrodes were placed within the nucleus ventralis posterolateralis (VPL) of the thalamus and/or the medial lemniscus (ML) of the midbrain for therapeutic purposes. Several brief positive deflections (e.g., P11, P13, P14, P15, P16) followed by a slow negative component were recorded from the VPL. The sources of these components were differentiated on the basis of their latency, spatial gradient, and correlation with the sensory experience induced by the stimulation of each recording site. The results indicated that SEPs recorded from the VPL included activity volume-conducted from below the ML (P11), activity in ML fibers running through and terminating within the VPL (P13 and P14), activity in thalamocortical radiations originating in and running througn the VPL (P15, P16 and following positive components) and postsynaptic local activity (the negative component). The sources of the scalp-recorded SEPs were also analyzed on the basis of the timing and spatial gradients of these components. The results suggested that the scalp P11 was a potential volume-conducted from below the ML, the scalp P13 and P14 were potentials reflecting the activity of ML fibers, the small notches on the ascending slope on N16 may potentially reflect the activity of thalamocortical radiations, and N16 may reflect the sum of local postsynaptic activity occurring in broad areas of the brain-stem and thalamus.

Résumé

Des potentiels évoqués somatosensoriels (SEP) ont été enregistrés chez l'homme avec un réseau d'électrodes implantées de telle manière qu'au moins deux électrodes étaient situées dans le noyau ventralis posterolateralis (VPL) du thalamus et/ou dans le lemnisque médian (LM) du mésencéphale à des fins thérapeutiques. Plusieurs déflectionsf positives brèves (c.a.d. P11, P13, P14, P15, P16) suivies par une composante négative lente ont été enregistrées dans le VPL. Les sources de ces composantes ont été différenciées en tenant compte de leur latence, leur gradient spatial et la corrélation avec l'expérience sensorielle induite par la stimulation de chacun des sites d'enrigestrement. Les résultats indiquent que les SEP enregistrés dans le VPL comportent une activité conduite en volume à partir d'une zone plus profonde que le LM (P11), une autre se propageant dans les fibres du LM et aboutissant dans le VPL (P13 et P14), une autre encore dans les radiations thalamo-corticales prenant naissance et se propageant dans le VPL (P15, P16 et composantes positives suivantes) et enfin une activité locale postsynaptique (la composante négative). Les sources des SEP de scalp ont également été analysées en tenant compte de leur chronologie et de leur gradient spatial. Les résultats suggèrent que l'onde P11 de scalp est un potentiel conduit en volume venant d'en-dessous du LM, les ondes P13 and P14 de scalp sont un reflet de l'activité des fibres du LM, les petites encoches sur la phase ascendante de N16 pourraient refléter l'activité des radiations thalamocorticales et N16 serait l'image de la sommation de l'activité postysynaptique locale apparaissant dans de larges zones du tronc cérébral et du thalamus.

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Cited by (78)

Directional recordings of somatosensory evoked potentials from the sensory thalamus in chronic poststroke pain patients
2023, Clinical Neurophysiology
The aim of this feasibility study was to investigate the properties of median nerve somatosensory evoked potential (SEPs) recorded from segmented Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) leads in the sensory thalamus (VP) and how they relate to clinical and anatomical findings.
We analyzed four patients with central post-stroke pain and DBS electrodes placed in the VP. Median nerve SEPs were recorded with referential and bipolar montages. Electrode positions were correlated with thalamus anatomy and tractography-based medial lemniscus. Early postoperative clinical paresthesia mapping was performed by an independent pain nurse. Finally, we performed frequency and time–frequency analyses of the signals.
We observed differences of SEP amplitudes recorded along different directions in the VP. SEP amplitudes did not clearly correlate to both atlas-based anatomical position and fiber-tracking results of the medial lemniscus. However, the contacts of highest SEP amplitude correlated with the contacts of lowest effect-threshold to induce paraesthesia.
SEP recordings from directional DBS leads offer additional information about the neurophysiological (re)organization of the sensory thalamus.
Directional recordings of thalamic SEPs bear the potential to assist clinical decision-making in DBS for pain.
A new potential specifically marks the sensory thalamus in anaesthetised patients
2019, Clinical Neurophysiology
Citation Excerpt :
This nucleus is partially surrounded by the anterior medial portion of the ventral caudate nucleus (V.c.); at some angles, a trajectory through the V.c. can be used to gain access to the Ce. DBS in the V.c. provides the opportunity to record somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) from final DBS electrodes (Katayama and Tsubokawa, 1987; Hanajima et al, 2004a;) and microelectrode recordings (MERs) (Hanajima et al., 2004a). The V.c. response to electrical stimulation comprises two components (Klostermann et al., 2000; Klostermann et al., 2002; Hanajima et al., 2004a): a local field potential (LFP) and a very high frequency oscillation (VHFO) of approximately 1–1.5 kHz.
During deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, we analysed somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) using microelectrode recordings (MERs) in patients under general anaesthesia.
We obtained MERs from 5 patients with refractory epilepsy. Off-line analysis isolated local field potentials (LFPs, 2–200 Hz) and high frequency components (HFCs, 0.5–5 kHz). Trajectories were reconstructed off-line.
The ventral caudate (V.c.) nucleus was most frequently recorded from (171 mm). Very high frequency oscillations (VHFOs) were recorded up to 8 mm in length from all 4 electrodes but were most frequently recorded from the V.c. The properties of VHFOs were similar among all nuclei (frequency >1500 Hz, amplitude ∼3 µV, starting time ∼14 ms, duration 8–9 ms). Consecutive recordings did not show any synchronization or propagation, but a new kind of potential (high frequency oscillation, HFO) appeared abruptly inside the V.c. (frequency = 848 ± 66 Hz, amplitude = 5.2 ± 1.8 µV starting at 17.7 ± 0.5 ms, spanning 3.4 ± 0.3 ms).
VHFOs are widely extending and cannot be ascribed to the V.c. HFOs in patients under general anaesthesia can serve as a landmark to identify the V.c. in thalamic DBS surgery.
Thalamic processing involves nuclei other than the V.c, and HFO can be used to improve DBS surgery.
High test-retest-reliability of pain-related evoked potentials (PREP) in healthy subjects
2017, Neuroscience Letters
Citation Excerpt :
In several studies of somatosensory evoked potentials [14,28,30] and laser-evoked-potentials (LEP) [4,20], differing potential components have been reported. While early potential sections were attributed to a thalamic activity [14], the mean components were interpreted as an activation of the somatosensory cortex and for the late parameters an influence of cognition, consciousness and attention could be shown [21,33]. These findings should be considered in further analyses of PREP and the corresponding evoked pain intensity during PREP recordings, for example in subsequent MRI or MEG studies.
Pain-related evoked potentials (PREP) is an established electrophysiological method to evaluate the signal transmission of electrically stimulated A-delta fibres. Although prerequisite for its clinical use, test-retest-reliability and side-to-side differences of bilateral stimulation in healthy subjects have not been examined yet. We performed PREP twice within 3–14 days in 33 healthy subjects bilaterally by stimulating the dorsal hand. Detection (DT) and pain thresholds (PT) after electrical stimulation, the corresponding pain ratings, latencies of P0, N1, P1 and N2 components and the corresponding amplitudes were assessed. Impact of electrically induced pain intensity, age, sex, and arm length on PREP was analysed. MANOVA, t-Test, interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest real difference (SRD), Bland-Altmann-Analysis as well as ANCOVA were used for statistical analysis.
Measurement from both sides on both days resulted in mean N1-latencies from 142.39 ± 18.12 ms to 144.03 ± 16.62 ms and in mean N1P1-amplitudes from 39.04 ± 12.26 μV to 40.53 ± 12.9 μV. Analysis of a side-to-side effect showed for the N1-latency a F-value of 0.038 and for the N1P1-amplitude of 0.004 (p > 0.8). We found intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) from 0.88 to 0.93 and a standard error of measurement (SEM) < 10% of mean values for all measurements concerning the N1-Latency and N1P1-amplitude.
Intraclass correlation coefficients, standard error of measurement and Bland-Altman-Analyses revealed excellent test-retest-reliability for N1-latency and N1P1-amplitude without systematic error and there was no side-to-side effect on PREP. N1-latency (r = 0.35, p < 0.05) and N1P1-amplitude (r = −0.45, p < 0.05) correlated with age and additionally N1-latency correlated with arm length (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). In contrast, pain intensity during the stimulation had no effect on both N1-latency and N1P1-amplitude.
In summary, PREP showed high test-retest-reliability and negligible side-to-side differences concerning the commonly used parameters N1-latency and N1P1-amplitude.
Laser evoked potential recording from intracerebral deep electrodes
2009, Clinical Neurophysiology
Citation Excerpt :
For instance, this proved useful in identifying thalamic SEP components. Indeed, after non-noxious somatosensory stimuli IC electrodes located within or close to the thalamus record a triphasic component (Tsuji et al., 1984; Tsuji et al., 1984; Suzuki and Mayanagi, 1984; Albe-Fessard et al., 1986; Katayama and Tsubokawa, 1987; Morioka et al., 1989; Insola et al., 1999, 2004), thought to represent a postsynaptic event due to the ventro–postero–lateral (VPL) neuron excitation by lemniscal afferents (Klostermann et al., 2002). In our patients, there are two main elements not to consider the potentials recorded by the deep IC electrodes as near-field potentials generated by subcortical structures.
To investigate whether recording from deep intracerebral (IC) electrodes can disclose laser evoked potential (LEP) components generated under the cerebral cortex.
LEPs were recorded to hand and/or perioral region stimulation from 7 patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease, who underwent implant of IC electrodes in the globus pallidum pars interna (GPi), in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). LEPs were obtained from the IC electrode contacts and from the Cz vertex, referred to the nose.
The scalp traces showed a triphasic response (P1-N2-P2). The IC electrodes recorded two main components (ICP2 and ICN2), showing the same latencies as the scalp N2 and P2 potentials, respectively. The ICP2-ICN2 complex was sometimes preceded by a ICP1 wave at the same latency of the scalp P1 response.
The LEP components recorded from the IC electrodes mirrored the ones picked up from the Cz lead, thus suggesting that they are probably generated by the opposite pole of the same cortical sources producing the scalp responses.
In the IC traces, there was no evidence of earlier potentials possibly generated within the thalamus or of subcortical far-field responses. This means that the nociceptive signal amplification occurring within the cerebral cortex is necessary to produce identifiable LEP components.
Dissociation of thalamic high frequency oscillations and slow component of sensory evoked potentials following damage to ascending pathways
2006, Clinical Neurophysiology
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) recorded from the thalamus have a slow component and high frequency (∼1000 Hz) oscillations (HFOs). In this study, we examined how lesions in the sensory afferent pathway affect these components.
Thalamic SEPs to contralateral median nerve stimulation were recorded from deep brain stimulation electrodes in two patients. Patient 1 had spinal cord injury at the C4/5 level. Patient 2 had multiple sclerosis with mid brain lesions. Seven patients with no brain or cervical spinal cord lesions served as controls.
In both patients, the low frequency component of the SEP (LF SEP) was delayed and/or prolonged and greatly decreased in amplitude compared with controls. HFOs were recorded in both patients. The latencies of onset and peak of the HFOs were approximately the same as those of the LF SEPs and their amplitudes were similarly reduced. However, their frequency was similar to that of the control group. Cortical SEPs were absent in both patients.
Normal frequencies of thalamic HFOs in association with increased peak latencies, and decreased amplitudes provide further evidence that the HFOs are likely due to intrinsic oscillations in the thalamus rather than high frequency synchronous inputs.
Thalamic HFOs are closely associated with the LF SEP but are generated by a different mechanism.
Chapter 17 Intraoperative recording of the very fast oscillatory activities evoked by median nerve stimulation in the human thalamus
2006, Supplements to Clinical Neurophysiology
This chapter characterizes thalamic very fast oscillations (VFOs) and their relationship with thalamic neuronal firing. VFOs at a frequency of 500–700 Hz are superimposed on scalp-recorded cortical potentials from the human sensory cortex (S1). VFOs have also been observed as small notches superimposed on positive SEPs recorded with electrodes in the human thalamus. In the chapter, microstimulation is performed at regular intervals and perceptual and/or motor effects are determined. This strategy allowed a physiological map to be constructed relative to the imaged coordinates. The recorded VFOs showed phase reversal at the anterior commisure (AC)–posterior commisure (PC) line and their amplitudes were largest near the AC–PC line. Tactile neuron firing was closely correlated with VFOs. The chapter suggests that either VFOs may determine the exact time of neuron firing in ventrocaudal nucleus (Vc) or that Vc neuron firing is somehow time-locked in a repetitive pattern, giving rise to oscillatory VFO.

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^☆: This research was supported by Japan Education Ministry Grant 60480333.

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Abstract

Résumé

Exp. Neurol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

J. neurol. Sci.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Pain

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

New subcortical components of the cerebral somatosensory evoked potential in man

Acta neurol. scand.

Simultaneous recordings in human thalamus and cortex of an early evoked component

Appl. Neurophysiol.

Physiological Basis of the Alpha Rhythm

Inhibitory phasing of neuronal discharge

Nature (Lond.)

Short latency somatosensory evoked potentials in brain dead patients

Arch. Neurol. (Chic.)

Projections of the ascending somesthetic pathways to the cat superior colliculus visualized by the horseradish peroxidase technique

Exp. Brain Res.

The termination of secondary somatosensory neurons within the thalamus of Macaca mulatta: an experimental degeneration study

J. comp. Neurol.

Somatosensory evoked potentials recorded directly from human thalamus and SmI cortical area

Arch. Neurol. (Chic.)

Origins of the components of human short-latency somatosensory evoked responses (SER)

Neurology (NY)

Short latency somatosensory evoked potentials following median nerve stimulation in patients with neurological lesions