[The current objective criteria for the adequacy of general anesthesia in children]

Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) were recorded and analyzed in 12 children during general halothane and ketamine anesthesia. Ketamine suppressed the amplitude of primary negative component and eliminated secondary AEP components with latencies more than 60 ms, including N-200 and P-300 waves. By contrast, halothane did not affect primary components with less than 95 ms latencies and suppressed the latest components. Hence, ketamine suppresses the nonspecific afferent pathways and the brain structures responsible for memory and emotional functions, while halothane does not affect the afferent pulsation and partially suppresses emotional and mnemonic functions.