Frontal-temporal EEG During Anesthesia Recovery Predicts Postoperative Delirium in Neurosurgery: A Single-center, Prospective, Observational Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating whether sub-hairline electroencephalography (EEG) during anesthesia recovery can predict postoperative delirium (POD) in adults undergoing elective craniotomy. POD is a common neurological complication after major surgery, linked to longer hospital stays and cognitive issues. This prospective observational study focuses on adult neurosurgical patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery to understand the relationship between EEG patterns and POD. Participants will have continuous sub-hairline EEG monitoring starting at the end of surgery and continuing through early recovery in the ICU. The EEG will focus on frontal and temporal brain regions, measuring spectral power across various frequency bands, burst suppression ratio, and connectivity metrics. POD will be assessed using validated tools including CAM-ICU, DOSS, and FMSE at four visits within the first seven postoperative days, including specific days 1, 7, and two random days between 2 and 5. Throughout the study, researchers will collect clinical data such as patient demographics, anesthesia management, and vital signs to control for confounding factors. EEG data quality will be ensured with strict protocols and cross-checked with medical records. The primary outcome is the incidence of POD within seven days post-surgery. Secondary outcomes include EEG theta wave power, hospital length of stay, postoperative complications, EEG pattern analysis, and respiratory rhythm coupling. Participation lasts until ICU discharge and about one week post-surgery assessments.

Electroencephalogram Predicts Post-operative Delirium