title: Effects of different concentrations of sevoflurane and desflurane on subcortical somatosensory evoked responses in anaesthetized, non-stimulated patients.
abstract: Twenty-four patients were recruited and given either sevoflurane or desflurane as their sole anaesthetic. Each patient was given sequentially increasing or decreasing doses at 0.5 MAC intervals, and the median nerve somatosensory evoked response recorded after an equilibration at each concentration. The N20-P25 and P25-N35 amplitudes decreased with increasing agent concentration. However, for both agents the P15-N20 amplitude response was quadratic in shape. The peak inflection points were at 3.2% for sevoflurane and 4.9% for desflurane. There were no differences between the ascending and descending groups. This increase in activity in the midbrain at 'surgical' end-tidal anaesthetic concentrations suggests more complex neuroelectrical responses to anaesthesia than simple global suppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Imperial College School of Anaesthesia at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, UK.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Vaugha
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doré
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Brunner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077335:Desflurane; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D000077149:Sevoflurane
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane