[An electroencephalographic comparison of fentanyl and sulfentanil (author's transl)]

Equipotent analgesic doses of sulfentanil and fentanyl showed similar effects in 281 cases of clinical neuroleptanalgesia. In rabbits equimolecular doses of sulfentanil induced a deeper narcotic effect (burst suppression) than fentanyl. This supports the thesis of a coincidental increase of analgesic potency and narcotic effect in agonistic opioids. In equipotent doses the conventional EEG and the amplitude-frequency-spectra are equal. Quantificated analyses and statistical calculations show essentially similar changes in animal: - Fentanyl as well as sulfentanil changes only the dominant frequency in the theta-bands. - The percentage value increases only in the sigma-band, doesn't change in the alpha- and beta1-band and decreases in the theta-band, beta2--and beta3-band. - The power of sigma rises by a potency of ten in both substances; the change in the other frequencies shows similar sizes. Fentanyl and sulfentanil do not coure differences in the EEG.