PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF MEP AND SSEP IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC UMN LESIONSAFTER STROKE

55 patients with chronic upper motor neurone syndrome after stroke wer e assessed on admission to a neurological therapy center using clinica l scores (separate motor scores for hand, arm and leg function) and el ectrophysiological techniques (motor evoked potentials, MEP and somato sensory evoked potentials, SSEP). Clinical examinations were repeated at the end of therapy. Motor outcome variables for the upper extremity (hand and arm scores after therapy) and for the lower extremity (leg score) showed the strongest correlations with clinical scores before t herapy and with MEP. Correlations with SSEP were lower than with MEP. Multiple regression analysis of the whole group and a more detailed an alysis of a subgroup of patients showed that MEP and SSEP have some ad ditional prognostic value for upper but not for lower extremity functi on.