What is a “wake up” test and when is it performed?
During the correction of the spine the spinal cord can become irritated. A wake-up test is a sensitive technique to detect any malfunction in the spinal cord during correction of the spine. It is performed by waking the patient up during the surgery and asking the patient to move their feet as a test for spinal cord function. Sedation is provided to the patient during the wake-up test so that they have no recollection of being awake during surgery. At Cedars Sinai Medical Center, motor evoked potentials are used during surgery. Motor and sensory evoked potentials are highly sensitive in detecting slight changes in spinal cord function during surgery. If the patient is able to undergo both motor and sensory evoked potential’s effectively, a wake-up test during surgery is not necessary. If there is any question about the results of the motor or sensory evoked potentials during surgery, a wake-up test will be performed.
During the correction of the spine the spinal cord can become irritated. A wake-up test is a sensitive technique to detect any malfunction in the spinal cord during correction of the spine. It is performed by waking the patient up during the surgery and asking the patient to move their feet as a test for spinal cord function. Sedation is provided to the patient during the wake-up test so that they have no recollection of being awake during surgery. Motor evoked potentials are used during surgery. Motor and sensory evoked potentials are highly sensitive in detecting slight changes in spinal cord function during surgery. If the patient is able to undergo both motor and sensory evoked potential’s effectively, a wake-up test during surgery is not necessary. If there is any question about the results of the motor or sensory evoked potentials during surgery, a wake-up test will be performed.
