Research Projects
Intraoperative Spinal Evoked Potential Monitoring

Objective and Significance:

To date, intraoperative spinal cord monitoring cannot exactly specify the sensitivity and specificity concerning neurological outcome because of the variability of evoked potential(EP) signals during surgery. Previous studies have found the variability in EP signals have strong dependence on the changes in physiological variables. Good understanding of normal variability due to physiological effects can improve the reliability of intraoperative spinal cord monitoring. The objective of this project is to investigate the effects and the interaction effects of various physiological variables on intraoperative EP monitoring.

Research Plan and Methodology:

This project will analyse the database of spinal cord monitoring m the department of orthopaedic surgery during the past 5 years, involving more than 300 pati ents. To investigate the effects of physiological variables on EP signals, the latencies and amplitudes of EP signals and relative physiological variables will be analy zed. The percentage changes in latency and amplitude of various EP techniques will be compared with the relative changes in the physiological variables. Correlation coefficient and regression analysis will be carried out for the trends between the change in physiological variables and EP latency or amplitude. Nonlinear multi-parameters factorial analysis will also be used to quantify the relationship between EP variability and physiological variables.

Dr Y Hu, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Biography
yhud@hku.hk

For more information or to express interest for this project, please email the supervisor or the specified contact point in the project description.  Interested candidates are advised to enclose with your email:

1. your CV,
2. a brief description of your research interest and experience, and
3. two reference letters (not required for HKUMed UG students seeking MRes[Med]/URIS projects).

Information on the research programme, funding support and admission documentations could be referenced online at the Research Postgraduate Admissions website. General admission enquiries should be directed to rpgmed@hku.hk.

HKUMed MBBS students interested in the Master of Research in Medicine (MRes[Med]) programme may visit the programme website for more information.  

HKUMed UG students interested in the Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme (URIS) may visit the scheme’s website for more information.