Comparison of the applicability of rule-based and self-organizing fuzzy logic controllers for sedation control of intracranial pressure pattern in a neurosurgical intensive care unit

Abstract

This paper assesses the controller performance of a self-organizing fuzzy logic controller (SOFLC) in comparison with a routine clinical rule-base controller (RBC) for sedation control of intracranial pressure (ICP) pattern. Eleven patients with severe head injury undergoing different neurosurgeries in a neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) were divided into two groups. In all cases the sedation control periods lasted 1 h and assessments of propofol infusion rates were made at a frequency of once per 30 s. In the control group of 10 cases selected from 5 patients, a RBC was used, and in the experimental group of 10 cases selected from 6 patients, a self-organizing fuzzy logic controller was used. A SOFLC was derived from a fuzzy logic controller and allowed to generate new rules via self-learning beyond the initial fuzzy rule-base obtained from experts (i.e., neurosurgeons). The performance of the controllers was analyzed using the ICP pattern of sedation for 1 h of control. The results show that a SOFLC can provide a more stable ICP pattern by administering more propofol and changing the rate of delivery more often when rule-base modifications have been considered.