Evoked Potentials (EPs)
Evoked Potentials (EPs) Overview
Evoked potentials (EPs) are the nervous system’s electric responses to sensory or motor stimulation. In clinical testing, EPs are elicited by visual or auditory stimulation or by electric stimulation of sensory nerves. Electrodes placed on the scalp or the skin over the spinal cord or peripheral nerves record this electrical activity in your body.
What are evoked potentials used for?
Doctors use EPs to test conduction in the visual (sight), auditory (hearing), and somatosensory (touch and feel) systems, especially in the central parts of these systems. EPs are so sensitive that they can detect lesions not discovered by clinical or other laboratory techniques. Furthermore, EPs often help to localize lesions to specific segments of the central sensory pathway. Patients may receive EPs for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, structural lesions, some degenerative diseases, and some encephalopathies. They are also used in the operating room to monitor peripheral and central nervous system pathways during surgical procedures to protect them from potential injuries.
Evoked Potentials at Barrow Neurological Institute
Barrow Neurological Institute has an outpatient EP program with over 30 years of experience. We also perform evoked potential testing in intensive care units (ICUs) and for academic research.
Request an Appointment with an Epilepsy Specialist
Call (602) 406-6262