title: Bispectral Index Changes during Acute Brainstem TIA/Ischemia.
abstract: We describe a 76-year-old patient who suffered a brainstem TIA just before being anesthetised for cardiac surgery. The TIA was registered on BIS and resulted in a drop in BIS to a value of 60. When consciousness returned spontaneously, the BIS increased to 85. The relative use of the BIS during an operation is discussed. We believe that the lack of input from the brainstem to the frontal cortex resulted in the reduced cortical electrical activity as registered with the BIS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chris P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bleeker
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.forename: Pieter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: Jo M J
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mourisse