Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2012
The potential of quantified lower cranial nerve EMG for monitoring of anesthetic depth.
During surgery, lower cranial nerve (CN) electromyography (EMG) may show spontaneous activity without surgical correlate. These episodes have been observed in association with sudden patient movement. In the study presented, this activity was quantified and correlated to the Bispectral Index (BIS) to evaluate the potential of lower CN-EMG for monitoring the depth of anesthesia. ⋯ Spontaneous EMG of muscles targeted by lower CNs seems to correlate well with arousal reactions at the end of anesthesia. In many cases, this effect preceded BIS changes. Thus, lower CN EMG monitoring may be a valuable tool in monitoring adequate depth of anesthesia.