TY - JOUR
T1 - Attention-related modifications of ultra-late CO2 laser evoked potentials to human trigeminal nerve stimulation
AU - Valeriani, Massimiliano
AU - Restuccia, Domenico
AU - Le Pera, Domenica
AU - De Armas, Liala
AU - Maiese, Toni
AU - Tonali, Pietro
PY - 2002/9/6
Y1 - 2002/9/6
N2 - Our study aimed at investigating the scalp topography of ultra-late CO2 laser evoked potentials (LEPs), which are related to C fiber activation, and at exploring the effect of attention deviation on ultra-late LEPs. Brain responses to non-painful CO2 laser stimuli were recorded in ten healthy subjects in three different conditions: (i) neutral condition in which subjects did not have any task; (ii) distraction condition in which subjects were asked to perform a mathematical task; and (iii) attention condition in which subjects had to count the number of stimuli. In all subjects, also Ao fiber-related late LEPs were recorded after painful CO2 laser stimulation. The ultra-late LEPs in attention condition included an earlier negative potential (ultra-late N1) in the contralateral temporal region and a simultaneous frontal positive response (ultra-late P1). Later, a vertex biphasic component (ultra-late N2a and ultra-late P2) was identifiable. The vertex ultra-late LEP amplitude was significantly decreased in both neutral and distraction condition. Ultra-late LEPs showed a longer latency than late LEPs, but the scalp distributions of both ultra-late and late LEPs were very similar, thus suggesting that the same cerebral areas may be involved in their generation. Since attention deviations have a strong effect on ultra-late LEP amplitude, the subject's attention should be addressed to CO2 laser stimuli when ultra-late LEPs are used for clinical purposes.
AB - Our study aimed at investigating the scalp topography of ultra-late CO2 laser evoked potentials (LEPs), which are related to C fiber activation, and at exploring the effect of attention deviation on ultra-late LEPs. Brain responses to non-painful CO2 laser stimuli were recorded in ten healthy subjects in three different conditions: (i) neutral condition in which subjects did not have any task; (ii) distraction condition in which subjects were asked to perform a mathematical task; and (iii) attention condition in which subjects had to count the number of stimuli. In all subjects, also Ao fiber-related late LEPs were recorded after painful CO2 laser stimulation. The ultra-late LEPs in attention condition included an earlier negative potential (ultra-late N1) in the contralateral temporal region and a simultaneous frontal positive response (ultra-late P1). Later, a vertex biphasic component (ultra-late N2a and ultra-late P2) was identifiable. The vertex ultra-late LEP amplitude was significantly decreased in both neutral and distraction condition. Ultra-late LEPs showed a longer latency than late LEPs, but the scalp distributions of both ultra-late and late LEPs were very similar, thus suggesting that the same cerebral areas may be involved in their generation. Since attention deviations have a strong effect on ultra-late LEP amplitude, the subject's attention should be addressed to CO2 laser stimuli when ultra-late LEPs are used for clinical purposes.
KW - Attention
KW - C fibers
KW - CO laser
KW - Evoked potentials
KW - Human brain
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037031528&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037031528&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0304-3940(02)00671-7
DO - 10.1016/S0304-3940(02)00671-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 12183042
AN - SCOPUS:0037031528
VL - 329
SP - 329
EP - 333
JO - Neuroscience Letters
JF - Neuroscience Letters
SN - 0304-3940
IS - 3
ER -