Intraoperative EEG power spectrum alterations in patients with malignant brain tumors.
Abstract
Background
Intraoperative electroencephalography (EEG) is increasingly used to guide anesthetic management. However, potential differences in EEG features remain poorly understood in patients with central nervous system pathologies, including brain tumors, leaving a critical knowledge gap regarding how structural brain lesions alter the anesthetic-induced EEG changes.
Methods
In this prospective observational pilot study, EEG data from patients undergoing craniotomies for the removal of malignant brain tumors (n = 21), benign brain tumors (n = 20), and from a control group of non-neurological surgeries (n = 32) were evaluated. The incidence of visually identified burst suppression during induction and maintenance as well as the power spectra from two artifact-free, burst suppression-free EEG episodes at the beginning and end of the maintenance were compared.
Results
Both benign and malignant tumor patients did not exhibit a significantly higher incidence of burst suppression during induction or maintenance compared to non-neurological controls. Malignant tumor patients had significantly lower absolute and relative beta band-power than benign tumor and control patients.
Conclusions
The EEG patterns of patients with malignant brain tumors differed significantly from those of patients with benign tumors and non-neurological controls. Further studies are needed to better characterize the EEG alterations and their clinical implications in this vulnerable patient population.