Study: EEG Pattern Indicates State of Consciousness Under Anesthesia

Heather Linder -

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston identified an electroencephalogram brain pattern that signals the loss and regaining of consciousness for patients under propofol anesthesia, according to a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The findings may help provide anesthesia administrators with markers to monitor the state of a patient's unconsciousness when under general anesthesia from propofol, a drug commonly used for ambulatory anesthesia procedures.

Raw EEG data can give information about the brain's state under anesthesia, but most brain monitoring systems reduce the complex EEG read to a simplified number that does not accurately tell the brain state that created the pattern, according to researchers.

Researchers are now working on new monitoring techniques to develop EEG monitors that can display the patterns so anesthesiologists can be sure patients are unconscious and predict when they will regain consciousness, according to the release.

More Articles on Anesthesia:
Somnia Anesthesia's First Leadership Paper Released
ASA Recognizes Annual Patient Safety Awareness Week
CMS Anesthesia Care Standards Outlined in AHC Media Book



Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.