Somatosensory evoked potentials during isoflurane anaesthesia

Short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to median nerve stimulation during isoflurane anaesthesia were recorded in 12 elective-surgery patients. The effect of isoflurane on the shape, amplitude and latency of SEPs was evaluated. SEPs were recorded at awake, 1 MAC, 1.5 MAC, at electroencephalogram (EEG) burst suppression and at continuous suppression levels. Finally, SEPs were recorded when anaesthesia was lightened back to 1 MAC. The peak latency and amplitude of the first cortical N20 wave were measured. The latencies increased with increasing isoflurane concentrations. At high concentrations only an almost monophasic N20 wave was recorded, reduced in shape and amplitude. No specific changes could be correlated with the burst suppression or suppression patterns. This suggests that EEG and SEP generators are differently affected with increasing isoflurane concentration. The results indicate that SEPs can also be recorded in drug-induced EEG suppression.