Electrical activity produced by the brain in response to any sensory stimulus; a more specific term than eventrelated potential, as the “event” is a sound.
An electrical discharge in a neutral center produced by stimulation elsewhere.
Electrical response produced in the central nervous system by an external stimulus (e.g., a flash of light). The response can be monitored on recording equipment and used to verify the integrity of nerve connections.
The electroencephalographic record of electrical activity produced at one of several levels in the central nervous system by stimulation of an area of the sensory nerve system. Analysis of the response can provide important information concerning the function of the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Stimulation of the central nervous system by stimulation of a sensory nerve which is recorded in an electroencephalogram.
EPs are recordings of the nervous system’s electrical response to the stimulation of specific sensory pathways (e.g., visual, auditory, general sensory). In tests of evoked potentials, a person’s recorded responses are displayed on an oscilloscope and analyzed on a computer that allows comparison with normal response times. Demyelination results in a slowing of response time. EPs can demonstrate lesions along specific nerve pathways whether or not the lesions are producing symptoms, thus making these tests useful in confirming the diagnosis of MS. Visual evoked potentials are considered the most useful in MS.
Neurological examinations involving the measurement of the brain’s electrical response to the stimulation of sensory organs, such as the eyes or ears, as well as peripheral nerves in the skin, are commonly employed. These tests play a significant role in aiding the confirmation of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
An evoked potential refers to the electrical signal produced when a sensory region, like a nerve, a muscle, or the retina (the light-sensitive layer located at the back of the eye), is stimulated. Tests that record these evoked potentials are utilized to identify issues related to the transmission of signals along sensory nerves.