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Updated: May 22, 2026
Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers
Published on: January 13, 2018
Comparison of the effects of different anesthetic techniques on electrocorticography in patients undergoing epilepsy
Ashish Bindra1, Rajendra S Chouhan, Hemanshu Prabhakar
1Department of Neuroanaesthesiology, Neurosciences Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.
Aim:
It is well known that general anesthetics suppress/alter electrocorticography (ECoG) activity. However there are no randomized studies available, comparing various anesthetic techniques as regards their effects on ECoG.
Methods:
The following is a double blind, randomized cross over study to compare the effects of isoflurane and propofol with or without nitrous oxide on electrocorticographic activity in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. 40 patients suffering from medically intractable epilepsy scheduled to undergo resective surgery under ECoG guidance under general anesthesia, (March 2008-December 2010) were enrolled. Patients received either isoflurane or propofol (with air/oxygen or nitrous oxide/oxygen) as maintenance agents as per randomization and ECoG was recorded and quantified as per a scoring system (range 1-5, where 5 is most abnormal).
Results:
The mean ECoG score in isoflurane group and propofol with nitrous oxide was 3.0(1.2), 3.2(1.2) [p=0.7] and with air was 3.9(1.0) and 3.4(1.1) [p=0.1] respectively. In both isoflurane group and propofol group addition of nitrous oxide depressed the ECoG score (p ≤ 0.01, 0.5 respectively). The total duration of anesthesia, surgery, emergence time, extubation time, and hospital stay was comparable in two groups.
Conclusion:
In our study optimal ECoG recordings were possible with use of either isoflurane or propofol. Addition of nitrous oxide to either of the anesthetic regimens suppressed the ECoG score.
