Dexmedetomidine infusion and somatosensory evoked potentials

Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring requires information on the effe cts of anesthetic drugs because these drugs can directly alter evoked poten tials, thus interfering with monitoring. We report on our evaluation of the effect of the recently introduced alpha (2)-adrenergic agonist, dexmedetom idine, on the somatosensory evoked potentials in two patients undergoing ce rvico-occipital fusion. Our results suggest that, although dexmedetomidine can affect the later cortical peaks of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSE Ps), consistent and reproducible potentials can be recorded.