Facial nerve motor evoked potentials during skull base surgery to monitor facial nerve function using the threshold-level method.

Publication

Facial nerve motor evoked potentials during skull base surgery to monitor facial nerve function using the threshold-level method.

Journal Paper/Review - Mar 1, 2013

Sarnthein Johannes, Hejrati Nader, Neidert Marian Christoph, Huber Alexander M, Krayenbühl Niklaus

Citation

Sarnthein J, Hejrati N, Neidert M, Huber A, Krayenbühl N. Facial nerve motor evoked potentials during skull base surgery to monitor facial nerve function using the threshold-level method. Neurosurg Focus 2013; 34:E7.

Type

Journal Paper/Review (English)

Journal

Neurosurg Focus 2013; 34

Publication Date

Mar 1, 2013

Issn Electronic

1092-0684

Brief description/objective

During surgeries that put the facial nerve at risk for injury, its function can be continuously monitored by transcranial facial nerve motor evoked potentials (FNMEPs) in facial nerve target muscles. Despite their advantages, FNMEPs are not yet widely used. While most authors use a 50% reduction in FNMEP response amplitudes as a warning criterion, in this paper the authors' approach was to keep the response amplitude constant by increasing the stimulation intensity and to establish a warning criterion based on the "threshold-level" method.