ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a multifocal damage. THE AIM: The assessment of the MS course by multimodal evoked potentials (EP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated 95 patients (63 female, 32 male) with relapsing-remitting MS in the average age of 36.4±10.4. The average disease duration was 4.6±7.4 year. Among them, 48 patients (50.5%) were treated with immunomodulatory drugs. All patients underwent neurological examination and EP testing: VEP (visual evoked potentials), SEP (somatosensory evoked potentials), endogenous potential P300. The latencies of following waves were evaluated: P100 (VEP), N4 , N9 , N13, N20, P22 (SEP) and P300, with the reference values of the Neurophysiological Research Laboratory of the Department of Neurology in Zabrze. RESULTS: Abnormal VEP(I) was found in 80 patients (84.2%), SEP(I) in 9 patients (9.5%), P300(I) in 15 patients (15.8%). Abnormal result of the control research VEP (II) was found in 23 patients (82.1%), SEP(II) in 1 patient (3.6%), P300(II) in 4 patients (14.3%). The average values of the waves latencies in the control study were higher, however the statistical significance was not found. The correlation was observed between EDSS, and N20 and P22. No relationship was found between EP and age, disease duration, number of relapses and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In the era of neuroimaging, usage of EP in the diagnosis and assessment of MS is limited. Electrophysiological studies may be used in addition to the clinical examination to confirm the multifocal damage.