Usefulness of brain signals for the detection of loss of consciousness in anesthesia: overview of the problem and results from a Clinical Study

• Author(s): González, Carmen ; Mendes, Marina ; Amorim, Pedro ; Mendes, Joaquim ; Nunes, Catarina S.
• Date: 2009
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/14188
• Origin: Repositório Aberto da Universidade Aberta
• Subject(s): General anesthesia; Loss of consciousness detection; Bispectral index
• Document Type: Conference object
• Language: English
• Contributor(s): Repositório Aberto

Description

Loss of consciousness (LOC) detection is essential for better anesthesia guidance. Clinical signs and brain monitoring are currently used in operating rooms to assess the state of consciousness. However, a patientindependent, accurate and reliable indicator of LOC is not currently available. We studied 69 patients undergoing general anesthesia, investigating a possible relationship between loss of consciousness and BIS and EMG signals registered during induction. Neither BIS and EMG values at LOC, nor their abrupt fall proved to be good indicators of loss of consciousness. Further work needs to be done in order to reliably detect loss of consciousness.