title: Stimulus induced bursts in severe postanoxic encephalopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on a distinct effect of auditory and sensory stimuli on the EEG in comatose patients with severe postanoxic encephalopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In two comatose patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with severe postanoxic encephalopathy and burst-suppression EEG, we studied the effect of external stimuli (sound and touch) on the occurrence of bursts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patient A bursts could be induced by either auditory or sensory stimuli. In patient B bursts could only be induced by touching different facial regions (forehead, nose and chin). When stimuli were presented with relatively long intervals, bursts persistently followed the stimuli, while stimuli with short intervals (<1s) did not induce bursts. In both patients bursts were not accompanied by myoclonia. Both patients deceased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bursts in patients with a severe postanoxic encephalopathy can be induced by external stimuli, resulting in stimulus-dependent burst-suppression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stimulus induced bursts should not be interpreted as prognostic favourable EEG reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medisch Spectrum Twente, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.c.tjepkema-cloostermans@mst.nl.
authors.forename: Marleen C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tjepkema-Cloostermans
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elisabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Wijers
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medisch Spectrum Twente, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Michel J A M
authors.initials: MJAM
authors.lastname: van Putten
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000368:Aged; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003128:Coma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Burst-suppression EEG; Postanoxic encephalopathy; Stimulus induced bursts