Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (13)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Loveman, E.
Right arrow Articles by Smith, D. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Loveman, E.
Right arrow Articles by Smith, D. C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2001, Vol. 86, No. 4 513-518
© 2001 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

The auditory evoked response as an awareness monitor during anaesthesia

E. Loveman1, J. C. Van Hooff2 and D. C. Smith3

1Wessex Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, UK. 2Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry I Street, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK. 3Department of Anaesthesia, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK*Corresponding author

We investigated the relationship between the latency of the Nb wave of the auditory evoked response (AER) and periods of awareness during propofol anaesthesia. In the anaesthetic room before cardiac surgery the AER was recorded continuously in 14 patients. Awareness was measured by the ability of the patient to respond to command using the isolated forearm technique (IFT). The Nb latencies were shorter when the patients were able to respond than at loss of response (P<0.001). In six patients who repeated this transition from response to loss of response, there was a high and significant correlation between Nb latencies. None of the patients had any recollection of events after the initial induction of anaesthesia as measured by explicit and implicit memory tests. These results suggest that the Nb latency of the AER may represent an indication of awareness in individual patients, but wide inter-patient variability limits its practical usefulness. In addition, because no evidence of memory was demonstrated, even when patients were known to be awake, the relationship between AER and memory processing remains unclear.

Br J Anaesth 2001; 86: 513–8


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
H. J. Blusse van Oud-Alblas, J. W. B. Peters, T. G. de Leeuw, K. T. A. Vermeylen, L. W. L. de Klerk, D. Tibboel, J. Klein, and F. Weber
A Comparison in Adolescents of Composite Auditory Evoked Potential Index and Bispectral Index During Propofol-Remifentanil Anesthesia for Scoliosis Surgery with Intraoperative Wake-Up Test
Anesth. Analg., November 1, 2008; 107(5): 1683 - 1688.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
S. L. Bell, D. C. Smith, R. Allen, and M. E. Lutman
The Auditory Middle Latency Response, Evoked Using Maximum Length Sequences and Chirps, as an Indicator of Adequacy of Anesthesia
Anesth. Analg., February 1, 2006; 102(2): 495 - 498.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 SEMIN CARDIOTHORAC VASC ANESTHHome page
R. A. Rodriguez
Human Auditory Evoked Potentials in the Assessment of Brain Function During Major Cardiovascular Surgery
Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, June 1, 2004; 8(2): 85 - 99.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
C. Deeprose, J. Andrade, S. Varma, and N. Edwards
Unconscious learning during surgery with propofol anaesthesia{dagger}
Br. J. Anaesth., February 1, 2004; 92(2): 171 - 177.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
P. Aceto, A. Valente, M. Gorgoglione, E. Adducci, and G. De Cosmo
Relationship between awareness and middle latency auditory evoked responses during surgical anaesthesia
Br. J. Anaesth., May 1, 2003; 90(5): 630 - 635.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.