Evoked Potential Testing is available Clinton Township & St. Clair Shores, MI

At Michigan Neurology Associates & Pain Consultants, we provide quick and accurate evoked potential testing services to assess the functioning of your nervous system.

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Get a Precise Diagnosis of Your Neurological Conditions with Our Evoked Potential Test

Get a Precise Diagnosis of Your Neurological Conditions through completing our Evoked Potential Electrodiagnostic Testing

If you have a suspected abnormality in your brain or nervous system, you would then receive a recommendation to undergo an evoked potential test to determine the underlying cause of your condition. At Michigan Neurology Associates & Pain Consultants, we perform a variety of evoked potential tests on-site within our two locations (Clinton Township & St. Clair Shores, MI).

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What Is an Evoked Potential Test?

An evoked potential test is conducted to measure the electrical activity of various components of nervous system in response to sensory stimulation, such as light, touch, or sound. These tests are very sensitive measures of damage along the brain ,spinal cord, or nerve pathways, allowing for the accurate diagnosis of many neurologic conditions.

Three types of evoked potentials may be performed depending on your Physician’s concerns:

Visual Evoked Response (VER or VEP) Test This measures electrical signals generated by the visual system starting with the retina and ending at the visual cortex (a region in the posterior brain) in response to visual stimulation. It is used to diagnose abnormalities in the visual pathway, especially the optic nerves. These structures are often injured in multiple sclerosis
Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER or AEP’s) Test This measures electrical signals generated by the auditory pathway beginning within the ear, then the brain stem and upper brain centers that react to sounds. These techniques aid to diagnose abnormalities in the brainstem and auditory pathways.
Somatosensory Evoked Response (SSER or SSEP’s) Test This measures the nervous system’s response to skin surface stimulation starting in the peripheral nerves of the limbs to determine how long it takes for nerve signals to travel to the spinal cord then up to the brain. They are especially sensitive to spinal cord disorders.

Why Do You Need an Evoked Potential Test?

An evoked potential test is essential to objectively diagnose neurological conditions that impact your brain and peripheral nerve functioning, such as multiple sclerosis, or optic nerve disease.

How We Can Help You with Evoked Potential Testing?

Our locations have specialists who can perform and guide you on how to best prepare for your evoked potential test thereby maximizing the sensitivity of this form of objective neurophysiologic and, reducing artifacts. Only then can the results be helpful in your diagnosis.

Here is general outline of what you can expect:

Before the Procedure

You must wash your hair the night before the procedure and avoid applying hairspray, conditioner, and other hair care products the morning of, as these could interfere with your test. You must inform us about your existing health condition and the medications you are taking, and based on your answers, we may request you follow a few other specific instructions.

During the Procedure

These noninvasive evoked potential tests are performed in our outpatient center. To prepare you for the procedure, we will ask you to wear the provided procedural gown and remove any hairpins, jewelry, hearing aids, eyeglasses, or other metal objects that may interfere with your procedure. Afterwards, we will ask you to relax in a reclining chair or lie on the bed and then place electrodes using a paste. A sedative is sometimes necessary.

The placements of electrodes depend on the type of evoked potential test being performed.

Visual Evoked Response : We will ask you to sit several feet away from the screen and place electrodes on the various areas of your scalp responsible for recording visual responses by the nervous system. You will need to focus on the center of the screen, one eye at a time when a checkerboard pattern is displayed on the screen. The squares in the checkerboard reverse color once or twice per second.
Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response : You will be asked to sit with soundproof earphones and then electrodes will be placed over your scalp and onto one earlobe and then the other. An clicking type of auditory stimulus will be sent to the ear being tested while a masking noise will be sent to the other ear to insulate it from the same stimulus. Then the process is reversed.
Somatosensory Evoked Response (SSER) Test : We will place electrodes on your scalp and one or more body parts, such as the back of the knee, lower back, wrist, or ankle. Some small, painless electrical shocks will be sent via these surface electrodes to record the time it takes for the brain and spinal cord to respond to the signals.

Once the test finishes, we will remove the electrodes and wash off the paste.

After the Procedure

We will inform you about resuming the medications you paused for the test and give you additional instructions based on your condition. Lastly, you may need to wash your hair after returning home to remove the remaining paste.