1 Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Charité, Campus Charité Mitte, Schumannstrasse 20/21, D-10117 Berlin, Germany. 2 Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 3 Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany *Corresponding author
Accepted for publication: April 24, 2002
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Abstract |
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Methods. MLAER were recorded in 29 healthy patients before and during anaesthesia and during emergence until the patients opened their eyes spontaneously. After a structured interview the next day, patients were classified into those with and without explicit memory of the recovery period. Latencies Na, Pa and Nb and the peak-to-peak amplitudes NaPa and PaNb were compared between the groups by multivariate analysis of variance. Results are mean (SD).
Results. At eye opening (37 (12) min after the end of anaesthesia) the latency Nb (47 (5) compared with 41 (5) ms; P<0.001) was prolonged and the amplitude PaNb (1.3 (0.8) compared with 1 (0.5) ms; P=0.012) was greater than the baseline value, respectively. The Nb latency was significantly shorter in patients with explicit memory (49 (2) ms compared with 45 (1); P=0.041).
Conclusions. Large intra- and inter-individual variability in the MLAER values limited their ability to predict memory responses in individual patients during emergence from propofol/sufentanil anaesthesia.
Br J Anaesth 2002; 89: 37681
Keywords: anaesthesia i.v., propofol; analgesics opioid, sufentanil; brain, evoked potentials; memory
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Introduction |
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Several studies suggest that the MLAER can distinguish different states of consciousness. Davies and colleagues found consistent changes in MLAER latencies during repeated transitions from unconsciousness to consciousness during sedation with propofol in combination with spinal anaesthesia.4 A threshold value of the MLAER latency Nb of 53 ms discriminated between the presence and the absence of an eyelash reflex with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96% during propofol sedation before surgery.5 MLAER waveforms may indicate the ability to form implicit memories.6 An increase of the Pa latency of <12 ms distinguished patients with and without implicit memory after operation, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 77%.
We found that explicit memory performance in early recovery could be distinguished in patients waking up from isoflurane/nitrous oxide anaesthesia, using changes in the median nerve somatosensory evoked response (MnSSER) to indicate recovery of explicit memory.7 The present study was designed to measure MLAER and explicit memory during recovery from propofol/sufentanil anaesthesia. We wished to compare the MLAER waveforms between patients with and without explicit memory for this time.
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Methods |
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Anaesthesia and recovery
The patients received midazolam 7.5 mg p.o. for premedication 45 min before anaesthesia. After induction of anaesthesia with propofol 2 mg kg1, sufentanil 0.4 µg kg1 and vecuronium 0.1 mg kg1, the trachea was intubated and anaesthesia maintained with propofol 8 mg kg1 h1. The inspired oxygen concentration was 0.3. Additional doses of sufentanil 0.2 µg kg1 were given when needed. At the end of surgery and after recording the MLAER, the propofol infusion was stopped. One hundred per cent oxygen was given using a fresh gas flow at 3 litre min1 and the patients were extubated when breathing was adequate. After the extubation the patients received oxygen via a face mask.
Auditory evoked responses
MLAER recordings were made in a standard manner with an Evomatic 4000® system (Dantec, Copenhagen, Denmark). After defining the individual hearing threshold, a stimulus intensity of 70 dB above this threshold was chosen and kept constant throughout the whole study. A random click to both ears via headphones was used. The stimulus frequency was 8 Hz. The MLAER waveforms were recorded on two amplifier channels using cup electrodes (zinc/lead) placed over Cz (international 1020 system) and both mastoid bones. Impedances were kept below 5 k
. A bandpass of 0.022 kHz was used and 2000 stimuli were averaged for each response and stored on disk for later analysis. MLAER were analysed for 90 ms after the stimulus. During anaesthesia and recovery, a period of 180 ms post-stimulus was measured to detect excessive prolongation of the waveforms. The peak latencies of the brainstem component, V, of the two negative MLAER components, Na and Nb, and the positive peak Pa between were measured with a software package (EvoPC®; Müller, Hamburg, Germany). Peak-to-peak amplitudes NaPa and PaNb were measured.
Measurements
The patients were shown the procedure of MLAER recording on the day before surgery, and baseline values were obtained (Awake). Duplicate baseline recordings were performed. After surgery had finished, MLAER were recorded during steady-state propofol anaesthesia (Anaesth), and every 510 min during emergence from anaesthesia. Since the duration of recovery from anaesthesia varied from patient to patient, clinically comparable stages were defined for comparison of the MLAER components. Pre-EXT was defined as the last MLAER recording before extubation, Post-EXT as the first recording after extubation when the patients opened their eyes on command, and Recovery when the patients opened their eyes spontaneously and could state the name of an object shown to them.
Clinical measurements
We noted heart rate (beats min1), non-invasive mean arterial pressure (mm Hg), percutaneous oxygen saturation (%) and body temperature when MLAER were recorded. End tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (PE'CO2) was measured during and after anaesthesia, and we noted the duration of anaesthesia, the time of extubation and the time of recovery.
Assessment of memory
When the patients had regained consciousness and opened their eyes spontaneously, they were asked to name precisely an object shown to them. A red booklet was opened and closed in front of them and they were asked to keep this booklet in mind. On the day after surgery a structured interview was used to assess the patients memory of the immediate recovery period. A broad variety of questions were posed. The relevant questions are listed in Table 1. According to their responses the patients were classified into a group without recall (No-MEM) and a group with explicit recall for the immediate recovery period (MEM).
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Inter-group comparisons for the MLAER components were made using multivariate ANOVA for repeated measurements (Hotellings T-square) using Awake, Anaesth and Recovery values. Univariate comparisons were also made for the MLAER components at Awake, Anaesth and Recovery. The Wilcoxon test was used if a normal distribution was not present. P<0.05 was taken to represent significance for all statistical tests.
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Results |
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MLAER parameter during emergence from anaesthesia
The brainstem component V, which serves as a reference for an artefact-free recording, was identified in all patients when awake. The postauricular reflex was seen in some but not all of the patients, and the amplitudes could be seen to differ markedly. After this there were two negative and one positive waves of the MLAER in all patients except in two: one did not show the component Nb, and the other did not show the components Pa and Nb.
The assumption of a normal distribution for the MLAER latencies was supported by the KolmogorovSmirnov test. The amplitude NaPa was not normally distributed, so the amplitudes were analysed by non-parametric tests (the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests). Multivariate analysis showed a significant difference for the latency components comparing the different measurements (P<0.001). Moreover, a significant interaction between latency component and amplitude measurement indicated that the effect was more pronounced the longer the latency of the component (P<0.01). The absolute values of the MLAER latencies are shown in Figure 1. There were significant differences in the amplitudes NaPa and PaNb at the different times (P<0.001). The absolute values for the peak-to-peak amplitudes are listed in Table 3.
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After extubation MLAER were recorded in 20 patients, when the patients became responsive and opened their eyes at command. The latencies Na and Pa and the amplitudes regained baseline levels, but the latency Nb remained prolonged in comparison to before anaesthesia (P=0.001). When the patients opened their eyes spontaneously, MLAER components were seen in all patients again, except Pa, and Pa and Nb in the patients who did not have these components before anaesthesia. The latency Nb remained prolonged in comparison to preoperative measurement (P<0.001). The amplitude PaNb exceeded the baseline value (P<0.05).
MLAER measurements and memory
There was no difference between MLAER values before surgery between patients who later had explicit recall (n=13) and those who did not (n=14). The time of anaesthesia, time to extubation, duration of recovery and the dose of sufentanil were not different between the groups. At Recovery, in contrast, the latency of Nb was significantly less in the patients with explicit memory compared with the patients without (49.3 (1.8) ms vs 44.9 (1.3); P=0.041). The other MLAER components did not differ. Figure 2 shows two original AER traces at Awake and Recovery: one from a patient without and one with explicit memory. The individual Nb latencies at Awake and Recovery for the two memory groups are shown in Figure 3. Eleven data points only are shown for the group MEM, because two patients in that group did not have an Nb component during Awake and Recovery.
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Discussion |
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These findings support previous reports that BAER and MLAER show a decrease in the amplitudes and an increase in latencies during anaesthesia.2 8 9 BAER and MLAER were measured during increments of anaesthesia with propofol.10 In contrast to the BAER, the MLAER were affected markedly by propofol (7 mg kg1 h1), and latencies and peaks could not be measured. This is in contrast to the present study, where Nb was completely suppressed in three patients and Pa was suppressed in one patient only. Depression of MLAER is in part reversed during surgical stimulation, which could explain these different results.11 12
Tooley and colleagues used MLAER changes to establish a dose response curve using propofol as a sole agent in patients without surgical stimulation.5 A cut-off value of 53 ms for the Nb latency had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96% as a discriminator of eyelash response vs no response. Concentrations >6 µg ml1 attenuated the auditory response to an extent that made it difficult to determine the components. Care was needed to obtain AER in awake patients without premedication, because muscle artefact affected the signal. Coherent averaging gave the most reliable estimate of the AER. In the present study we recorded MLAER the day before surgery to familiarize the patients with the procedure, and repetitive stimulation reduced the effect of muscle artefact. We could not obtain MLAER during and immediately after extubation because of muscle artefact. During recovery the averaging time was sometimes prolonged because artefacts were present. Coherent averaging might have improved the extraction of MLAER during recovery. The mean latency of Nb was 54 ms, when the patients were tolerating the tracheal tube immediately before extubation. It decreased to
48 ms after extubation, when the patients opened their eyes at command, which supports the observations of Tooley and colleagues.5 Our study does not indicate a clear threshold because of the large inter-individual overlap in the Nb data. Muscle artefacts during recovery could affect visual interpretation of the components. However, large inter-individual differences in the MLAER components have been described in the awake state, and MLAER are rarely used to diagnose hearing problems.8 13
In a previous study we recorded median nerve somatosensory-evoked responses during emergence from anaesthesia.7 When the patients identified an object shown to them when waking from anaesthesia, the amplitude P25N35 exceeded the awake value. In the present study the amplitude PaNb was greater than the awake values. These changes may reflect an effect of cortical arousal by surgery, but several factors may contribute to the results. The patients had received midazolam for premedication and sufentanil intraoperatively.
In contrast to the increase in amplitudes, a persistent delay in the latency Nb was found to be present when the patients had regained consciousness, which could be related to explicit memory performance. In previous studies with median nerve somatosensory-evoked responses we found that midlatency MnSSER components were prolonged and correlated with explicit memory.7 14 The cortical components of evoked responses, >30 ms post-stimulus, are more sensitive to residual anaesthetics than the earlier components and need more time to recover, irrespective of the stimulation mode. These indicate impairment of more complex cognitive processing such as implicit or explicit memory processing. The coherent frequency of the AER could be related to categorical memory tests during isoflurane administration.15 During sedation with propofol, memory performance correlates more strongly with changes in AER amplitude P3 than with the drug concentration.16 However, AER components may not reliably indicate memory during different states of consciousness.17 Irrespective of the significant group effects, our results suggest a low predictive value because the inter-individual variation of Nb latency is considerable.
Computer-assisted measurements of the AER, such as the AER index or use of moving averaging techniques, have been developed.18 19 During recovery from an induction dose of propofol, concentration-related effects on the AER index were found, but a threshold was found in seven of 22 patients.20 The AER index returned to awake levels only when the patients had already developed clinical signs of arousal. In 10 female patients anaesthetized with propofol and nitrous oxide, there was no difference between the awake AER index and the values when the patients opened their eyes at command.21 Further studies are needed to show if the predictive value of the MLAER is improved by computer-assisted techniques. As Thornton states: "A brain signal recorded at one point in time will not necessarily predict future behaviour accurately if events or treatments which occur in the period between the two time points can influence behaviour".3
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References |
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