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Published on: October 2, 2014
Perioperative dynamic EEG patterns correlated with changes in cognitive subdomains
Duygu Aydin1, Mariana Thedim2, Chiewlin Liew3
1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, Munich 81675, Germany.
Clinical Neurophysiology Practice
|July 24, 2026
Summary
This study found that dynamic electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns correlate with changes in processing speed after surgery. Monitoring EEG may help identify patients at risk for cognitive decline following anesthesia and surgery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Anesthesiology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Postoperative neurological injury is a risk associated with surgery and anesthesia, particularly in patients with reduced cognitive reserve.
- Early identification of at-risk individuals is crucial for implementing preventive strategies, yet perioperative cognitive risk assessment is often overlooked.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the correlation between dynamic electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns and specific cognitive subdomains affected by surgery and anesthesia.
- To investigate the potential of EEG in identifying patients vulnerable to perioperative cognitive decline.
Main Methods:
- A secondary analysis of two prospective observational studies involving patients undergoing elective laparoscopic abdominal or pelvic surgery under general anesthesia.
- Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Exam, 2nd edition (MMSE-2) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) preoperatively and up to 48 hours postoperatively.
- Frontal EEG was recorded from pre-induction to extubation, with subsequent analysis using linear regression and accuracy to explore cognitive subdomains and EEG changes.
Main Results:
- Processing speed and auditory-verbal delayed recall were significantly affected postoperatively in the 23 surgical patients studied.
- Specific EEG patterns, including delta power, theta and alpha power changes, and aperiodic slope and offset, were correlated with alterations in processing speed.
- The study achieved high accuracy (AUC 0.72-0.95) in correlating EEG changes with processing speed deficits.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic EEG patterns show a significant correlation with changes in processing speed following surgical procedures.
- Integrating EEG monitoring into perioperative risk assessment could facilitate the early detection of cognitive vulnerability in surgical patients.
- This research highlights the link between perioperative EEG dynamics and cognitive function, paving the way for improved patient monitoring.
