Relationship between regional cerebral blood flow and electrocorticographic activities under sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthesia

The aims of this study are (1) to assess the effects of volatile anesthetics on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and electrocorticography (ECoG), and (2) to investigate the relationship between rCBF and ECoG influenced by volatile anesthetics. The authors measured rCBF using laser Doppler flowmetry and ECoG simultaneously and continuously from the same cortex during craniotomy, using the specially arranged probe. Patients received intravenous anesthetics with nitrous oxide until craniotomy, and after opening of dura, volatile anesthetic, either isoflurane or sevoflurane, was started and was gradually increased for the measurement. Four of the nine cases (44.4%) of the sevoflurane group showed no change both in rCBF and ECoG. In three cases (33.3%), rCBF increased as the frequency of the paroxysmal activities increased. In two cases (22.2%), decreased rCBF was accompanied by slow waves. In 12 cases of the isoflurane group, no apparent rCBF and ECoG changes were seen, except a case with decreased rCBF and slow waves. This is the first report of simultaneous recordings of regional CBF and neuronal activity under general anesthesia. During sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthesia <2.5 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration, rCBF is affected by ECoG activities rather than pharmacologic action of inhalational anesthetics.