Personalized brain-monitoring system to guide anesthesia in older adults
Developing an Elderly Patient-Specific, Accurate, Intuitive and Highly Interpretable System for Unconsciousness Management in General Anesthesia Using PASCALL FDA-Cleared Intraoperative EEG Monitor
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.
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 ID | NIH-11375757 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be monitored with a wireless, FDA-cleared EEG device that reads your brain activity during surgery. The team will use two brain-state markers (Alpha Modulation Index and Slow Frequency Modulation Index) plus a patient-specific responsiveness algorithm to suggest the right propofol dosing. That guidance aims to avoid giving too much anesthesia, which can lead to post-operative delirium in older patients. The work builds on a prior device clearance and focuses on people aged 60+ and those with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults (often ≥60–65 years) having surgery under propofol-based general anesthesia, including patients with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
Not a fit: Patients not receiving propofol, children or much younger adults, or people treated at hospitals that do not use the PASCALL monitor are unlikely to benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower rates of over-sedation and reduce post-operative delirium in older adults, especially those with Alzheimer’s or related dementias.
How similar studies have performed: Prior EEG-guided anesthesia studies have had mixed results for preventing delirium, while this project builds on an FDA-cleared monitor and newer, less-tested brain-state markers.
Where this research is happening
Boston, UNITED STATES
- Pascall Systems, Incorporated — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Le Mau, Tuan — Pascall Systems, Incorporated
- Study coordinator: Le Mau, Tuan
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 below.