Propofol and the electroencephalogram

Abstract

Propofol is an emulsion formulation of 2,6 diisopropylphenol developed in 1975. Widely recognized, it offers beneficial effects compared with other sedative drugs. Propofol is used in several clinical situations including multiple surgical procedures and critical-care medical conditions. Since technological advances over recent years have allowed an ever-increasing number of patients undergoing propofol therapy to be monitored by using continuous digital EEG, it is important to have a complete understanding of the effects of propofol on EEG in diverse clinical scenarios. This paper presents a review of the effects of propofol in electroencephalograms and discusses proconvulsive, anticonvulsive proprieties and the EEG findings in different medical conditions.