Intrathecal Morphine on Transcranial Electric Motor-Evoked Potentials

Completed

Conditions studied: Trauma, Nervous System

In brief

Patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) procedures for scoliosis are at risk for iatrogenic neurologic injury of the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots during surgical correction of the abnormal spinal curvature. The degree of neurologic injury can range from minor sensory deficits to complete paraplegia. Surgeons at CHOP utilize neurophysiologists to identify impending neurologic injury. These consultants monitor spinal cord pathways by recording and analyzing evoked potentials during the operation. Evoked potentials are low voltage electrical signals generated in response to transcranial or transcutaneous electrical stimulation of motor and sensory neural pathways. Some patients undergoing PSF receive an injection of morphine into the cerebrospinal fluid during the operation. This intrathecal (IT) morphine has potent analgesic effects. While most commonly used anesthetic agents have well-characterized effects on evoked potentials, little data exists on the effects of IT morphine on transcranial electric motor-evoked potentials (TceMEPs). This is a prospective observational study to characterize the effects of IT morphine on TceMEPs.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT00596609
Run by
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
People needed
36
Starts
2007-08-01
Expected to finish
2009-04-01
Last updated by the study team
2009-09-16

Who can join

Age: 11 and older, up to 18. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

You may not qualify if…

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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