EFFECT OF STEADY HYPOTHERMIA AND NORMOTHERMIA ON MULTIMODALITY EVOKED-POTENTIALS IN HUMAN POIKILOTHERMIA

Objective: To assess the effects of steady-state spontaneous hypotherm ia on multimodality evoked potentials and on peripheral nerve conducti on in human poikilothermia. Design and Setting: Case series at a unive rsity hospital. Patients: Four patients (four women, aged 28 to 37 yea rs) with acquired poikilothermia. Main Outcome Measures: Short-latency somatosensory, brain-stem auditory, and visual evoked potentials as w ell as motor and sensory peripheral nerve conduction velocity during s teady-state spontaneous hypothermia and normothermia. Results: The mar ked latency prolongation of all evoked potentials and decreased periph eral nerve conduction velocity observed during steady-state spontaneou s hypothermia (mean+/-SD core temperature, 33.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C) com pared with normothermia (36.9+/-0.4 degrees C) agrees with previous fi ndings during short-term induced hypothermia. Conclusions: The unequiv ocal effect of sustained mild spontaneous hypothermia on evoked potent ials and peripheral nerve conduction velocity underlines the importanc e of meticulous attention to even small alterations in core temperatur e in interpreting neurophysiological investigations.