Normative data of contact heat evoked potentials from the lower extremities

Contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) have become an acknowledged research tool in the assessment of the integrity of the nociceptive system and gained importance in the diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected small fiber neuropathy. For the latter, normative values for CHEP amplitude and latency are indispensable for a clinically meaningful interpretation of the results gathered in patients. To this end, CHEPs were recorded in 100 healthy subjects over a wide age range (20–80 years) and from three different dermatomes of the lower extremities (L2, L5, and S2). A normal baseline (35–52 °C) and increased baseline stimulation (42–52 °C) were applied. Statistical analysis revealed significant effects of stimulation site, stimulation intensity, and sex on CHEP parameters (N2 latency, N2P2 amplitude, and NRS). Significant positive correlations of body height with N2 latency, and pain ratings with N2P2 amplitudes were observed. This is the first time that normative values have been obtained from multiple dermatomes of the lower extremities. The present dataset will facilitate the clinical application of CHEPs in the neurophysiological diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy and by discerning pathological findings help establish a proximal-distal gradient of nerve degeneration in polyneuropathies.