Goodwin et al correlated outcome with evoked potentials in comatose adults and children. This help separate patients into good or poor outcome groups. The authors are from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Evoked potentials used:
(1) brainstem-auditory evoked potentials
(2) somatosensory-evoked potentials
Types of brainstem-auditory evoked potentials (page 519):
(1) normal
(2) abnormal (if the I to III interpeak latency, I to V interpeak latency, or I/V amplitude ratio exceeded the mean value by more than 3 standard deviations)
(3) absent with wave I
(4) absent without wave I
where:
• Wave I indicates that an electrical signal is transmitted to the CNS
Types of somatosensory evoked potentials (page 519):
(1) normal
(2) abnormal (if the time from the C-2 response to the cortical response time exceeded the mean value by more than 3 standard deviations).
(3) absent
Brainstem-Auditory EP
Somatosensory EP
Outcome
normal
normal
optimistic
normal
absent
chronic vegetative state
abnormal
absent
chronic vegetative state or death
absent without wave I
absent
chronic vegetative state or death
absent with wave I
NA
death
normal
abnormal
uncertain
abnormal
normal or abnormal
uncertain
absent without wave I
normal or abnormal
uncertain
from Figure 1, page 523
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