Spinal and cortical potentials evoked by tibial nerve stimulation in humans: effects of sex, age and height

Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper. 1992 Nov;68(11):691-8.

Abstract

Somatosensory evoked potentials by posterior tibial nerve stimulation at the ankle were performed in 74 healthy volunteers (36 females and 38 males) aged 14-76 years. Cortical potentials were obtained in all subjects and spinal potentials (N22) in 71 subjects. All parameters were related to subject's age, height and sex. Sex influenced only P40-N50 amplitude, which was greater in females. All latencies of spinal and cortical components increased in a similar manner with subject's height (about 0.16-0.18 ms per cm), whereas the N22-P40 interpeak latency was independent from height, but related to T12-Cz distance. Absolute latencies of the spinal and of most cortical components, but not interpeak latencies, increased with subject's age (about 0.06-0.09 ms per year). The parameters to compute normative data (according to univariate or bivariate regression models) are furnished. Limits of right-left differences are reported.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aging / physiology
  • Body Height / physiology
  • Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Reaction Time
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Spinal Cord / physiology*
  • Synaptic Transmission
  • Tibial Nerve / physiology*