From a European cohort 55 patients with early stage Lyme-neuroborrelio
sis were tested with somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) by stimula
ting the tibial nerve SEP and/or the median nerve SEP. The tibial SEP
seems to be more sensitive in the detection of nerve lesions in clinic
ally symptomatic limbs (67 % versus median SEP: 57 %). With both metho
des it was possible to unmask lesions in clinically asymptomatic nerve
s (tibial SEP: 38 %, median SEP: 30%). In 16 % of all SEPs we found a
combination of lesions in the peripheral and central nervous system, w
hich seems to be specific for Lyme-neuroborreliosis and may help in di
agnosing the disease. In our study pathological findings in SEPs prove
d to be reversible what is of differential diagnostic meaning.