Basic Methodology of Intraoperative Motor Evoked Potential Monitoring

Abstract

Intraoperative motor evoked potential（MEP）has been used to monitor the integrity of the descending motor pathway in surgeries with a risk of postoperative motor dysfunction. Methodology for stimulation and recording corresponding to usage of anesthetics and the various types of surgery is essential in order to perform reliable MEP monitoring. Recently, the tailoring of MEP warning criteria to different types of surgery based on anatomy are recommended because there is no valid one criterion that fits all different types of surgery. Confounding nonsurgical factors including anesthesia and hypotension associated with MEP suppression（hemodynamic fade）should be ruled out before warning surgeons.