Chapter 24
Processed EEG as a Measure of Brain
Activity During Anaesthesia
EEG Oscillations Under Anaesthesia
Pablo Martínez-Vázquez, Pedro L. Gambús, and Erik Weber Jensen
Abstract Introduction to depth of anaesthesia monitoring, a crucial tool to guide
anaesthesiologist for safer surgical procedures. Description of the main EEG activity
changes induced by hypnotic anaesthetic agents and the distinct analysis perspectives in their characterizations. Design principles, minimal validation requirements,
limitations and current challenges.
24.1 Introduction. The Need of Anaesthesia Monitoring
Despite the widespread clinical use of general anesthetics from their evident benefit
for the patients undergoing surgery, since the beginning of its modern history, their
use has been recognized as a hazardous endeavour with potential adverse effects to
the patients [32]. Unconsciousness, analgesia and immobility (muscle relaxation)
are the fundamental components of General Anaesthesia (GA). For safe surgical
procedures it is crucial for the anaesthesiologist to possess objective methods to estimate the level of each GA component continuously along the different phases of the
surgical procedure, in particular, the unconsciousness or hypnosis and the analgesia
or nociception. With around 250 million worldwide surgeries per year, any enhancement in the perioperative care preventing anaesthesia adverse effects is a major public
health issue. Traditional parameters such as tachycardia, hypertension, sweating or
movements between others have shown low sensitivity and specificity in estimating
P. Martínez-Vázquez (B)
Deutsches Primaten Zentrum (DPZ), 37077 Goettingen, Germany
e-mail: pmvazquez@dpz.eu
P. L. Gambús
Department of Anesthesia, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
E. Weber Jensen
R&D of Quantium Medical/Fresenius Kabi. Barcelona & Automatic Control and Informaic
(ESAII) Department, Centre for Biomedical Research (CREB) UPC-Barcelonatech, Barcelona,
Spain
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
A. Stefanovska and P. V. E. McClintock (eds.), Physics of Biological
Oscillators, Understanding Complex Systems,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59805-1_24
371
Processed EEG as a Measure of Brain
Activity During Anaesthesia
EEG Oscillations Under Anaesthesia
Pablo Martínez-Vázquez, Pedro L. Gambús, and Erik Weber Jensen
Abstract Introduction to depth of anaesthesia monitoring, a crucial tool to guide
anaesthesiologist for safer surgical procedures. Description of the main EEG activity
changes induced by hypnotic anaesthetic agents and the distinct analysis perspectives in their characterizations. Design principles, minimal validation requirements,
limitations and current challenges.
24.1 Introduction. The Need of Anaesthesia Monitoring
Despite the widespread clinical use of general anesthetics from their evident benefit
for the patients undergoing surgery, since the beginning of its modern history, their
use has been recognized as a hazardous endeavour with potential adverse effects to
the patients [32]. Unconsciousness, analgesia and immobility (muscle relaxation)
are the fundamental components of General Anaesthesia (GA). For safe surgical
procedures it is crucial for the anaesthesiologist to possess objective methods to estimate the level of each GA component continuously along the different phases of the
surgical procedure, in particular, the unconsciousness or hypnosis and the analgesia
or nociception. With around 250 million worldwide surgeries per year, any enhancement in the perioperative care preventing anaesthesia adverse effects is a major public
health issue. Traditional parameters such as tachycardia, hypertension, sweating or
movements between others have shown low sensitivity and specificity in estimating
P. Martínez-Vázquez (B)
Deutsches Primaten Zentrum (DPZ), 37077 Goettingen, Germany
e-mail: pmvazquez@dpz.eu
P. L. Gambús
Department of Anesthesia, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
E. Weber Jensen
R&D of Quantium Medical/Fresenius Kabi. Barcelona & Automatic Control and Informaic
(ESAII) Department, Centre for Biomedical Research (CREB) UPC-Barcelonatech, Barcelona,
Spain
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
A. Stefanovska and P. V. E. McClintock (eds.), Physics of Biological
Oscillators, Understanding Complex Systems,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59805-1_24
371