Could you explain what an sep test is?

[aradia]

  Could you please explain the purpose and what the findings might lead to
  for the somatosensory evoked potential test?  What would be the normal values
  for the P37 in a female who is 6' tall?  Mine was 43.2L and 42.8R.
  Thank you
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The purpose of an SSEP test is to test the integrity of the sensory pathway.
It is performed by giving a sensory stimulus at the periphery, the electrical responses
are recorded at the spinal cord, brainstem and at the level of the cerebral
cortex. If there is any damage to part of the pathway the impulse is either
absent, delayed or reduced in amplitude at the recording sites " upstream "
from tthe stimulus. The test is used to localize rather than identify the precise
type of pathology and is frequently used to localize sensory problems in the
spinal cord in patients suspected of having MS.
The normal values vary somewhat from lab to lab depending on the techniques and equipment
used so normal ranges have to be worked out independently at each center.
Our mean value for the P37 is 38.3 with the range (3 standard deviations)
going as high as 47.0, this however may not be relevant to the lab where you had your test.