Nociceptive SSEPs induced using multisine frequency modulated pulse trains

An exploratory study in inducing multi-frequency SSEPs

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Abstract

Steady state evoked potentials (SSEPs) using multiple frequency inputs are a well-known method to study the underlying dynamics in the visual, auditory and somatosensory system. Multi-frequency SSEPs provide insight into system dynamics such as delay, non-linearities, and frequency response function. Despite extensive research, little is known about the nociceptive system and its dynamics. Previous research showed the possibility to evoke single frequency nociceptive SSEPs using block wave stimulation. In the present study, we explored the feasibility of evoking multi-frequency nociceptive SSEPs using a multisine frequency modulated pulse train. The novel electrical stimulation technique using a frequency pulse train composed of 3, 7 and 13 Hz can stimulate multiple frequencies simultaneously. For the first time, we were able to induce multi-frequency SSEPs indicated by a contralateral maximal signal to noise ratio EEG response for 3 and 7 Hz. The power in 3 and 7 Hz showed significantly higher power compared to all other frequencies up until 40 Hz. The novel stimulation technique offers a unique opportunity to measure multi-frequency SSEPs related to nociceptive processing, allowing better localization of nociceptive signal processing and possible insight into the dynamics of the nociceptive regulation system.

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