Acta neurologica Belgica
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Acta neurologica Belgica · Dec 2000
ReviewThe usefulness of EEG, exogenous evoked potentials, and cognitive evoked potentials in the acute stage of post-anoxic and post-traumatic coma.
Three-modality evoked potentials (TMEPs) have been used for several years in association with the EEG as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in acute anoxic or traumatic coma. Cognitive EPs have been recently introduced. EEG and cognitive EPs provide functional assessment of the cerebral cortex. ⋯ Thus, cognitive EPs can usefully complement exogenous EPs as a prognostic tool in coma. Indeed, even if the absence of cognitive EPs in comatose patients does not have any prognostic value, their presence implies a very high (more than 90%) probability of consciousness recovery. The major technical challenge for the future will be the development of reliable tools for continuous EEG and TMEP monitoring.
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Acta neurologica Belgica · Dec 2000
Review Comparative StudyTherapeutic coma or neuroprotection by anaesthetics.
Some surgical patients are at an increased risk for developing cerebral ischaemia. A subset of these patients is believed to benefit from putative cerebroprotective effects of anaesthetic agents. ⋯ However, both animal and especially human data are very disappointing. Only the barbiturates and isoflurane have an experimental record warranting further research to delineate proper indications for their use as neuroprotective agents in surgical patients.