Question

Inhaled anesthetics often cannot be used at all with which type of neuromonitoring?

A) Somatosensory evoked potentials
B) Motor evoked potentials
C) Brainstem auditory evoked potentials
D) Processed EEG
E) Electromyography

Answer 1

Inhaled anesthetics are often not compatible with motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during intraoperative neuromonitoring due to their significant effects on the amplitude and latency of MEPs.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of intraoperative neuromonitoring, inhaled anesthetics are often not compatible with motor evoked potentials (MEPs). This is because inhaled anesthetics can significantly alter the amplitude and latency of MEPs, making the monitoring unreliable. MEPs are used to assess the functional integrity of the motor pathways during surgeries that might pose a risk to the nervous system; therefore, their accurate monitoring is critical. Anesthetics with fewer effects on MEPs, such as intravenous agents like propofol, are preferred in these scenarios.

By contrast, somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs), brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), processed EEG, and electromyography (EMG) can generally be utilized alongside inhaled anesthetics, although there might be some level of influence on their results as well. However, the effect of inhaled anesthetics on MEPs is notably more significant and problematic.