Differences in the EEG Power Spectrum and Cross-Frequency Coupling Patterns between Young and Elderly Patients during Sevoflurane Anesthesia

Electroencephalography (EEG) is widely used for monitoring the depth of anesthesia in surgical patients. Distinguishing age-related EEG features under general anesthesia will help to optimize anesthetic depth monitoring during surgery for elderly patients. This retrospective cohort study included 41...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xinxin Zhang, Ao Li, Sa Wang, Tingting Wang, Tiantian Liu, Yonghui Wang, Jingwen Fu, Guangchao Zhao, Qianzi Yang, Hailong Dong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-07-01
Series:Brain Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/8/1149
Description
Summary:Electroencephalography (EEG) is widely used for monitoring the depth of anesthesia in surgical patients. Distinguishing age-related EEG features under general anesthesia will help to optimize anesthetic depth monitoring during surgery for elderly patients. This retrospective cohort study included 41 patients aged from 18 to 79 years undergoing noncardiac surgery under general anesthesia. We compared the power spectral signatures and phase–amplitude coupling patterns of the young and elderly groups under baseline and surgical anesthetic depth. General anesthesia by sevoflurane significantly increased the spectral power of delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands and strengthened the cross-frequency coupling both in young and elderly patients. However, the variation in EEG power spectral density and the modulation of alpha amplitudes on delta phases was relatively weaker in elderly patients. In conclusion, the EEG under general anesthesia using sevoflurane exhibited similar dynamic features between young and elderly patients, and the weakened alteration of spectral power and cross-frequency coupling patterns could be utilized to precisely quantify the depth of anesthesia in elderly patients.
ISSN:2076-3425