Electroencephalographic Study of Children During Ketamine Anesthesia

Abstract

EEG was recorded on nine occasions of ketamine anesthesia in eight children. Two of the patients were neurologically normal and six were under investigation for various neurological disorders. The EEG during the catatonic phase of ketamine anesthesia is characterized by alternating high amplitude delta complexes and periods of fast activi.ty.The two cases which in the routine EEG showed focal paroxysmal activity did not show any electroencephalographic aggravation or clinical seizure during ketamine influence. One case exhibiting a subcortical type of epileptiform activity showed a marked potentiation of this activity with ketamine. On routine neurological examination during the catatonic phase of ketamine anesthesia the pharyngeal ?@ex was generally weak and failed altogether in two cases and corneal reJlexer were absent in three cases.

Ketamine anesthesia in children – exploring infusion regimens

“…Ketamine produces dissociative anesthesia, differing from classical anesthetic agents, and there remains an inability to use current depth of anesthesia monitoring. Electroencephalographic changes include heightened theta activity in the frontal lobes (35,36) and increases in fast b activity (37). Bispectral index monitoring (BIS), based on processed EEG has been shown to correlate to depth of anesthesia with classical hypnotism, but ketamine has paradoxical effects on BIS values (38,39).…”

A comparison of bispectral index and ARX‐derived auditory evoked potential index in measuring the clinical interaction between ketamine and propofol anaesthesia

“…BIS evaluates the raw EEG signal. A moderate dose of ketamine produces dominant frontal rhythmic theta activity with increases in amplitude [3, 15]. This may evoke an increase in BIS that is not compatible with the clinical signs.…”