Research Article
Dipolar source modeling of somatosensory evoked potentials to painful and nonpainful median nerve stimulation
Massimiliano Valeriani MD, PhD,
Domenica Le Pera MD,
David Niddam DSc,
Lars Arendt-Nielsen DSc, PhD,
Andrew C.N. Chen PhD,
Corresponding Author
Massimiliano Valeriani MD, PhD
Department of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L. go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Department of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L. go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorDomenica Le Pera MD
Department of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L. go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Niddam DSc
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorLars Arendt-Nielsen DSc, PhD
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorAndrew C.N. Chen PhD
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorMassimiliano Valeriani MD, PhD,
Domenica Le Pera MD,
David Niddam DSc,
Lars Arendt-Nielsen DSc, PhD,
Andrew C.N. Chen PhD,
Corresponding Author
Massimiliano Valeriani MD, PhD
Department of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L. go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Department of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L. go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorDomenica Le Pera MD
Department of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L. go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Niddam DSc
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorLars Arendt-Nielsen DSc, PhD
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorAndrew C.N. Chen PhD
Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 25 July 2000
Citations: 45
Abstract
Dipolar source modeling might help in clarifying whether somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) after electrical stimulation at painful intensity contain any information related to the nociceptive processing. SEPs were recorded after left median nerve stimulation at three different intensities: intense but nonpainful (intensity 2); slightly painful (pain threshold; intensity 4); and moderately painful (intensity 6). Scalp SEPs at intensities 2, 4, and 6 were fitted by a five-dipole model. When the strength modifications of the source activities up to 40 ms were examined across the different stimulus intensities, no significant difference was found. In the later epoch (40–200 ms), a posterior parietal dipole and two bilateral sources probably located in the second somatosensory (SII) areas increased significantly their dipole moments when the stimulus was increased from 2 to 4 and became painful. Since no difference was found when the stimulus intensity was increased from 4 to 6, the observed increase of the dipolar strengths is probably related to a variation of the stimulus quality (nonpainful vs. painful), rather than of the stimulus intensity per se. Our findings lead us to conclude that a large convergence of nociceptive and non-nociceptive afferents probably occurs bilaterally in the SII areas. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 23: 1194–1203, 2000
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