Laser evoked brain potentials in response to painful trigeminal nerve activation

Int J Neurosci. 1995 Mar;81(1-2):111-22. doi: 10.3109/00207459509015303.

Abstract

Long latency brain potentials were evoked by infrared laser stimuli (LEPs) applied to the right forehead in order to activate the thinnest cutaneous A-delta afferents of the upper branch of the trigeminal nerve thus inducing a painful sensation. Ten healthy male subjects participated in 4 identical subsequent sessions, one week apart, receiving 4 blocks of 40 stimuli each. This way the individual trigeminal LEPs, as well as their inter- and intraindividual reliability were determined. Five major components could be identified, denoted by polarity and peak latencies: N150, P230, N300, P360, N480. The LEP waveforms were found to be highly stable within subjects, peak latencies varied by less than 5%. Great variation in waveform appeared amongst subjects, peak latencies varied by more than 15%. The last two components exhibited the largest variability and were not identified in all subjects.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Evoked Potentials*
  • Functional Laterality
  • Humans
  • Lasers / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Pain / etiology*
  • Reaction Time
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Trigeminal Nerve*