Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 29, 2026
Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy
Published on: April 11, 2019
Postanoxic burst suppression electroencephalogram in a comatose child associated with spontaneous eyelid opening
1The Department of Neurosciences and Pediatrics, Rady Children's Hospital, University of California, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
Insights
Spontaneous eye opening after anoxic injury in a pediatric patient occurred after burst suppression electroencephalogram (EEG) bursts, a novel finding. This contrasts with adult cases where eye opening coincides with bursts, suggesting a different pathophysiological mechanism in children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Intensive Care Medicine
Background:
- Spontaneous eye opening with burst suppression EEG is known in adults post-anoxic injury.
- Previously, eye opening was linked to the onset of epileptiform bursts, suggesting a brainstem-release phenomenon and poor prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a unique case of spontaneous eye opening occurring at the conclusion of burst suppression EEG in a pediatric patient.
- To highlight the importance of recognizing this phenomenon in pediatric intensive care.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 12-year-old boy.
- Analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) findings following severe anoxic injury.
Main Results:
- The patient exhibited burst suppression EEG.
- Spontaneous eye opening was observed at the conclusion of the EEG bursts, a pattern not previously reported.
Conclusions:
- This case presents a novel electroencephalographic finding in pediatric postanoxic injury.
- The distinct timing of eye opening may offer new insights into the pathophysiology of this rare phenomenon in children.
Abstract:
Spontaneous eye opening associated with burst suppression electroencephalogram has been reported in adults following postanoxic injury. Previous reports have correlated the onset of epileptiform bursts with the eye opening and attribute it to a brainstem-release phenomenon associated with poor prognosis. The author presents a case of a 12-year-old boy with burst suppression electroencephalogram following severe anoxic injury where the eye opening occurred at the conclusion of the bursts that has never been previously reported. These electroencephalographic findings are important for intensive care physicians to recognize and may provide further insight into the pathophysiological mechanism of this rare phenomenon.
