Synchronization of brain activity during induction of propofol anesthesia: Comparison of methods

Synchrony patterns between the EEG measured from the subthalamic nucleus and scalp are analyzed during induction of propofol anesthesia. Various methods such as Coherence, Phase Locking Value, Partial Directed Coherence, Mutual Information, and Transfer Entropy are applied. The results indicate that, in general, the synchrony patterns seen in the depth-scalp electrode pair are similar to those seen between two scalp electrodes of opposite hemispheres. A clear change of state is revealed at about 10 minutes before burst suppression; this event is revealed by linear (Coherence) as well as nonlinear (Phase Locking Value) and information theoretic (Mutual Information and Transfer Entropy) measures. The results suggest that relatively large depth electrodes such as those used in the treatment of the Parkinson's disease are predominantly sensitive to cortical activity.