Normalization of EEG features by age to improve monitoring of older patients

Unmet Need: Age-based adjustment of EEG monitoring

Neurophysiologic data obtained from EEG monitoring serves as an important guide for safe anesthesia care in elderly patients undergoing surgery. However, EEG characteristics vary greatly among patients of different ages, and current EEG monitoring devices do not account for this age-related variability. This makes accurate monitoring of older patients under general anesthesia difficult to achieve. As such, a method for normalization of EEG data to correct for age-associated differences would improve EEG monitoring.

The Technology: Parameters for robust normalization of age-associated changes in EEG data

This technology describes two age-associated parameters that are robustly correlated with age in EEG data: permutation in the beta range and approximate entropy in the beta range. These parameters can be used as normalizers for EEG data to accurately determine anesthetic levels in patients. As such, incorporation of these parameters into EEG monitoring devices could improve the safety of anesthesia care for elderly patients, thereby preventing adverse surgical outcomes.

This technology has been validated with clinical data.

Applications:

EEG-based monitoring of depth of anesthesia
Epilepsy monitoring
EEG screen for delirium risk
EEG screen for Alzheimer’s disease progression

Advantages:

Incorporates age into EEG data analyses
Parameters can be seamlessly incorporated into existing technologies
Improves the safety of anesthesia care during surgery

Lead Inventor:

Paul Garcia, M.D., Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Related Publications:

Kreuzer M, Stern MA, Hight D, Berger S, Schneider G, Sleigh JW, García PS. “Spectral and entropic features are altered by age in the electroencephalogram in patients under sevoflurane anesthesia” Anesthesiology. 2020 May; 132(5): 1003-1016.

Tech Ventures Reference:

IR CU20105
Licensing Contact: Sara Gusik