EEG spectral changes and onset of burst suppression pattern in propofol/remifentanil anesthesia

This paper studies how remifentanil, a commonly used intraoperative opioid, affects the relation of the onset of burst suppression pattern (BSP) and the spectral changes of EEG during anesthesia. The onsets of BSP were detected using both manual and the automatic method proposed from the EEGs of twenty-seven patients who had received different amount of remifentanil with the anesthetic. The spectral changes were determined by calculating the frequency progression patterns of the EEGs. The results showed that remifentanil significantly affects the relation of EEG spectral changes and the onset of BSP. The finding is important since the current EEG-based assessment of the depth of anesthesia basically relies on the analysis of the spectral features and BSP.