• Sebastiaan Eckhardt Dulfer, Henk Groen, Robertus J M Groen, Anthony R Absalom, Marko M Sahinovic, and Gea Drost.
• From the Department of Neurosurgery University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
• Anesth. Analg. 2023 Dec 28.

BackgroundDuring spinal surgery, the motor tracts can be monitored using muscle-recorded transcranial electrical stimulation motor-evoked potentials (mTc-MEPs). We aimed to investigate the association of anesthetic and physiological parameters with mTc-MEPs.MethodsIntraoperative mTc-MEP amplitudes, mTc-MEP area under the curves (AUC), and anesthetic and physiological measurements were collected retrospectively from the records of 108 consecutive patients undergoing elective spinal surgery. Pharmacological parameters of interest included propofol and opioid concentration, ketamine and noradrenaline infusion rates. Physiological parameters recorded included mean arterial pressure (MAP), bispectral index (BIS), heart rate, hemoglobin O2 saturation, temperature, and Etco2. A forward selection procedure was performed using multivariable mixed model analysis.ResultsData from 75 (69.4%) patients were included. MAP and BIS were significantly associated with mTc-MEP amplitude (P < .001). mTc-MEP amplitudes increased by 6.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7%-10.4%) per 10 mm Hg increase in MAP and by 2.79% (CI, 2.26%-3.32%) for every unit increase in BIS. MAP (P < .001), BIS (P < .001), heart rate (P = .01), and temperature (P = .02) were significantly associated with mTc-MEP AUC. The AUC increased by 7.5% (CI, 3.3%-11.7%) per 10 mm Hg increase of MAP, by 2.98% (CI, 2.41%-3.54%) per unit increase in BIS, and by 0.68% (CI, 0.13%-1.23%) per beat per minute increase in heart rate. mTc-MEP AUC decreased by 21.4% (CI, -38.11% to -3.98%) per degree increase in temperature.ConclusionsMAP, BIS, heart rate, and temperature were significantly associated with mTc-MEP amplitude and/or AUC. Maintenance of BIS and MAP at the high normal values may attenuate anesthetic effects on mTc-MEPs.Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

11 keywords...

hide…