Improving anesthesia management for elderly patients with Alzheimer's and related dementias
Official title: Developing an Elderly Patient-Specific, Accurate, Intuitive and Highly Interpretable System for Unconsciousness Management in General Anesthesia Using PASCALL FDA-Cleared Intraoperative EEG Monitor
Funded at Pascall Systems, Incorporated · NIH-11008566 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to make general anesthesia safer and more effective for older adults, especially those with Alzheimer's and similar conditions, by creating a smart monitoring system that helps doctors give just the right amount of anesthesia during surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pascall Systems, Incorporated NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $399,269 |
| NIH project number | 1R44AG090247-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11008566 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are elderly patients aged 65 and older, particularly those diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not elderly or do not have Alzheimer's disease or related dementias may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing the safety and effectiveness of general anesthesia for elderly patients, particularly those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It aims to develop a personalized monitoring system that uses advanced EEG technology to accurately assess brain activity during anesthesia. By utilizing specific brain state markers and a responsive algorithm, the system will help anesthesiologists tailor drug dosing to maintain optimal unconsciousness levels, reducing the risk of over-sedation and post-operative complications. The study will specifically target patients receiving propofol, a commonly used anesthetic.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce the incidence of post-operative delirium in elderly patients undergoing surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using EEG monitoring for anesthesia management, indicating that this approach could lead to significant advancements in patient care.
Where this research is happening
-
Pascall Systems, Incorporated
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Le Mau, Tuan — Pascall Systems, Incorporated
- Study coordinator: Le Mau, Tuan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Elderly-friendly, interpretable brain-monitoring to guide anesthesia with a FDA-cleared EEG device
A small FDA-cleared brain-monitoring system and new, easy-to-understand brain-state markers will help tailor anesthesia doses for older adults, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
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How common anesthetics affect Alzheimer-related brain changes in men and women
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Personalized brain-monitoring system to guide anesthesia in older adults
This project is building a user-friendly EEG system to help tailor propofol anesthesia for older adults, including people with Alzheimer's and related dementias.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.