Mismatch negativity and N100 monitoring: Potential clinical value and methodological advances

Continuous long-term recording of brainstem (BAEPs), middle-latency (MLAEPs ) and long-latency auditory evoked potentials, including the mismatch negat ivity (MMN), brings additional information on the immediate functional stat e and the outcome of patients in coma or recovering after surgery, in relat ion with clinical observations and therapeutics. A recently designed monito ring system is introduced, aimed at the continuous recording of late audito ry potentials (N100 and MMN) as well as BAEPs and MLAEPs, Specific methodol ogical aspects are emphasized. Long-term monitoring data from one patient r ecorded in the recovery room after surgery are displayed, allowing an illus tration of the techniques used and of the problems raised. Copyright (C) 20 00 S. Karger AG, Basel.