Studies on the feasibility and safety of stimulations to the brain and the spinal cord for the purpose of spinal cord monitoring

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Recently the motor evoked potential (MEP) elicited by direct stimulation to the brain and recorded at the spinal cord has been used for the purpose of intraoperative monitoring of spinal cord functions.This research project has been focused on to reveal the feasibility and safety of MEP.Based on animal experimental studies using cats, it was concluded that the sensitivity of MEP to reflect compressive, destructive and anoxic insult to the spinal cord was similar to that of the spinal cord evoked potential generated by spinal cord stimulation (SCEP). Furthermore, the relationships between MEP and motor function and SCEP and sensory function were studied using clinical cases who had spinal cord dysfunction- preoperatively. In cases with motor weakness lower than MMT 2 J, it was difficult to record MEP, on the contrary, SCEP was observed even in cases with severe sensory dysfunction if motor functions was preserved. Accordingly, it has been concluded that the SCEP is reflecting global functions of the spinal cord.The safety of the stimulation to the brain was studied by observing the circulation of the cat brain and the effect on the conditioning reflex of monkey.Electric stimulation with high frequency exaggerated the blood circulation at the surface of cats brain, though, the pulsed magnetic stimulation did not affect. Furthermore, transcranical magnetic stimulation continued for 30 days and more than 7000 times did not affect on the conditioned reflex which is a function of high central nervous. system in 3 monkeys. Further complication such as epileptic seisure was not observed. As a conclusion, it was strongly suqqested that the transcranical magnetic stimulation did not insult flie higher brain function of the primate.