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Updated: May 14, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Impact of propofol on mid-latency auditory-evoked potentials in children
G E Kuhnle1, C Hornuss, M Lenk
1Clinic of Anaesthesiology, SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera GmbH, Straße des Friedens 122, 07548 Gera, Germany.
Insights
Propofol anesthesia in children impacts mid-latency auditory-evoked potentials (MLAEPs) by increasing peak latencies and decreasing amplitudes dose-dependently. MLAEPs may help monitor anesthesia depth in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Neurophysiology
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Propofol is widely used in pediatric anesthesia but precise titration is difficult.
- Mid-latency auditory-evoked potentials (MLAEPs) show potential for guiding propofol titration.
- The impact of propofol on pediatric MLAEPs requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between propofol administration and MLAEPs in children.
- To determine if MLAEPs can be used to monitor propofol anesthesia depth in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Healthy children (4-16 years) received propofol via target-controlled infusion at 3, 6, and 9 µg ml(-1).
- MLAEPs were recorded at steady-state concentrations.
- Venous propofol concentrations were measured concurrently.
Main Results:
- Propofol significantly increased MLAEP peak latencies (Na, Pa, Nb, P1) in a dose-dependent manner.
- MLAEP amplitudes decreased significantly with increasing propofol concentrations.
- Measured propofol plasma concentrations positively correlated with Na, Pa, and Nb peak latencies.
Conclusions:
- Propofol influences MLAEP latencies and amplitudes in children in a dose-dependent fashion.
- MLAEP monitoring may serve as a valuable tool for assessing propofol anesthesia depth in pediatric populations.
Background:
Propofol is increasingly used in paediatric anaesthesia, but can be challenging to titrate accurately in this group. Mid-latency auditory-evoked potentials (MLAEPs) can be used to help titrate propofol. However, the effects of propofol on MLAEP in children are unclear. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between propofol and MLAEP in children undergoing anaesthesia.
Methods:
Fourteen healthy children aged 4-16 yr received anaesthesia for elective surgery. Before surgery, propofol was administered in three concentrations (3, 6, 9 µg ml(-1)) through a target-controlled infusion pump using Kataria and colleagues' model. MLAEPs were recorded 5 min after having reached each target propofol concentration at each respective concentration. Additionally, venous propofol blood concentrations were assayed at each measuring time point.
Results:
Propofol increased all four MLAEP peak latencies (peaks Na, Pa, Nb, P1) in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the differences in amplitudes were significantly smaller with increasing propofol target concentrations. The measured propofol plasma concentrations correlated positively with the latencies of the peaks Na, Pa, and Nb.
Conclusions:
Propofol affects MLAEP latencies and amplitudes in children in a dose-dependent manner. MLAEP measurement might therefore be a useful tool for monitoring depth of propofol anaesthesia in children.
