title: Dreaming and electroencephalographic changes during anesthesia maintained with propofol or desflurane.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dream recall is reportedly more common after propofol than after volatile anesthesia, but this may be due to delayed emergence or more amnesia after longer-acting volatiles. The electroencephalographic signs of dreaming during anesthesia and the differences between propofol and desflurane also are unknown. The authors therefore compared dream recall after propofol- or desflurane-maintained anesthesia and analyzed electroencephalographic patterns in dreamers and nondreamers and in propofol and desflurane patients for similarities to rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred patients presenting for noncardiac surgery were randomized to receive propofol- or desflurane-maintained anesthesia. The raw electroencephalogram was recorded from induction until patients were interviewed about dreaming when they became first oriented postoperatively. Using spectral and ordinal methods, the authors quantified the amount of sleep spindle-like activity and high-frequency power in the electroencephalogram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of dream recall was similar for propofol (27%) and desflurane (28%) patients. Times to interview were similar (median 20 [range 4-114] vs. 17 [7-86] min; P = 0.1029), but bispectral index values at interview were lower (85 [69-98] vs. 92 [40-98]; P < 0.0001) in propofol than in desflurane patients. During surgery, the raw electroencephalogram of propofol patients showed more and faster spindle activity than in desflurane patients (P < 0.001). The raw electroencephalogram of dreamers showed fewer spindles and more high-frequency power than in nondreamers in the 5 min before interview (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anesthetic-related dreaming seems to occur just before awakening and is associated with a rapid eye movement-like electroencephalographic pattern.
authors: Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. kate.leslie@mh.org.au
authors: Kate
authors: K
authors: Leslie
authors: Jamie
authors: J
authors: Sleigh
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Paech
authors: Logan
authors: L
authors: Voss
authors: Chiew Woon
authors: CW
authors: Lim
authors: Callum
authors: C
authors: Sleigh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D000077335:Desflurane; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004325:Dreams / Q000187:drug effects*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015742:Propofol; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D005283:Fentanyl; D015742:Propofol