Shapes of direct cortical responses vs. short-range axono-cortical evoked potentials: The effects of direct electrical stimulation applied to the human brain

TL;DR

This study compares direct cortical responses and axono-cortical evoked potentials generated by electrical stimulation of the human brain, revealing differences in delays and waveform shapes that reflect underlying neural pathways.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence distinguishing DCR and ACEP based on onset delays and waveform morphology, enhancing understanding of cortical stimulation effects.

Findings

ACEP shows ~2 ms delay after initial component.

DCR exhibits additional cortical activity after 40 ms.

Differences in waveform shape help distinguish DCR from ACEP.

Abstract

Objective: Direct cortical responses (DCR) and axono-cortical evoked potentials (ACEP) are generated by electrically stimulating the cortex either directly or indirectly through white matter pathways, potentially leading to different electrogenic processes. For ACEP, the slow conduction velocity of axons (median around 4 m.s$^{-1}$) is anticipated to induce a delay. For DCR, direct electrical stimulation (DES) of the cortex is expected to elicit additional cortical activity involving smaller and slower non-myelinated axons. We tried to validate these hypotheses. Methods: DES was administered either directly on the cortex or to white matter fascicles within the resection cavity, while recording DCR or ACEP at the cortical level in nine patients. Results: Short but significant delays (around 2 ms) were measurable for ACEP immediately following the initial component (around 7 ms). Subsequent activities (around 40 ms) exhibited notable differences between DCR and ACEP, suggesting the presence of additional cortical activities for DCR. Conclusion: Distinctions between ACEPs and DCRs can be made based on a delay at the onset of early components and the dissimilarity in the shape of the later components >40 ms after the DES artifact). Significance: The comparison of different types of evoked potentials allows to better understand the effects of DES.