Brainstem auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials in neuro-Behçet's syndrome.

Abstract

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and somatosensory evoked potentials after median nerve stimulation (MN-SEPs) and after posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTN-SEPs) were studied in 17 patients with neuro-Behçet's syndrome (NB). Eleven patients (64.7%) showed an absence of wave I, III or V or a prolongation of the interpeak latency I-III, or III-V in BAEPs. Six patients (37.4%) showed a prolongation in the latency of cortical P37 of PTN-SEPs and/or the interpeak latency EP-N13 or N13-N18 of MN-SEPs. The BAEP and SEP abnormalities indicated a conduction failure of the acoustic lateral lemniscus pathway and the medial lemniscus pathway in the brainstem of the patients with NB. Abnormal EPs can provide sensitive information which shows the presence of subclinical lesions in the central nervous system.