Maturation of short latency somatosensory evoked potentials by median nerve stimulation: a cross-sectional study in a large group of children

Abstract

We have conducted two studies to evaluate the maturational changes of SEP in 206 subjects from neonatal period through adulthood. The first study was done with a cephalic reference electrode and included 137 subjects from 41 weeks (conceptional age) to 9 years of age, divided in 5 different age groups. In the second study, we used an extracephalic reference electrode and recorded SEPs in 69 normal subjects aged from 4 to 34 years, divided in 3 age groups. Our results show that there is a highly significant correlation between age and height in all the age groups studied. Peripheral and central components of SEP mature at different rates with adult values being reached for central conduction times (N9-P14, N9-N20, N13-N20 and P14-N20) between 4 and 9 years of age. Male and female subjects were compared in both studies and no significant differences were found in any of the age groups for any of the wave latencies or interpeak latencies analyzed.