title: Concurrent increases in brain electrical activity and intracranial blood flow velocity during low-dose ketamine anaesthesia.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of low-dose ketamine on spontaneous brain electrical activity (EEG) and intracranial blood flow velocity. Twenty healthy volunteers were divided into two groups: Group I (n = 10) received 0.25 mg.kg-1 ketamine iv; Group II (n = 10) received 0.5 mg.kg-1 ketamine iv. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), end-tidal PCO2 (PETCO2), and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) were measured. The EEG was recorded from temporo-occipital recording sites over both hemispheres. Blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery was measured using a transcranial Doppler ultrasound system. All variables were evaluated at baseline and for 60 min following ketamine. Administration of ketamine resulted in increases of MAP and HR in both groups to a similar degree. The PETCO2 and SaO2 did not change in either group over time. Ketamine caused a dose-dependent, transient shift in the EEG to synchronous high-voltage slow waves with an increase in total power (Group I: 301 +/- 38%; Group II: 104 +/- 28%). These changes were associated with dose-dependent increases in mean blood flow velocity (Group I: 35 +/- 7%; Group II: 68 +/- 10%). Our data suggest that increases in intracranial blood flow velocity are closely correlated to increases in neuronal activity and are not secondary to changes in systemic haemodynamic variables.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kochs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Möllenberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulte am Esch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007649:Ketamine; D010100:Oxygen