Propofol versus sevoflurane effects on frontal EEG alpha power during anesthesia
Official title: Comparison of EEG Power Spectrum During Maintenance of Anesthesia With Propofol Versus Sevoflurane
Run by Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain · NCT07561970 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether propofol or sevoflurane produces different frontal EEG alpha power in adults having elective electrophysiology procedures under general anesthesia.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 280 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Brussels) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 13, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 2027 |
| Study ends | December 2027 |
| Registry record updated | May 1, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07561970 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults scheduled for elective electrophysiology interventions (for example atrial fibrillation ablation) at the participating center who can give informed consent, speak French, and meet the cardiac, cognitive, and medication eligibility criteria are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Emergency patients, those with preoperative cognitive impairment, patients taking benzodiazepines or antiepileptic drugs, people with significant cardiac dysfunction, morbid obesity, or severe nausea/vomiting history are unlikely to benefit or be eligible for this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Adult patients undergoing elective electrophysiological procedures under general anesthesia will receive maintenance anesthesia with either intravenous propofol or inhaled sevoflurane while frontal EEG is recorded using the NeuroSense® depth-of-anesthesia monitor. The primary outcome is frontal EEG alpha power (dB) during maintenance, and secondary outcomes include comparisons of other EEG frequency bands. Spectral data from the two maintenance groups will be analyzed to detect differences and to explore cut-off values that might predict higher risk of postoperative delirium. The protocol excludes patients with certain cardiac conditions, preoperative cognitive impairment, benzodiazepine or antiepileptic use, morbid obesity, and other factors that could confound EEG signals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help identify patients at higher risk of postoperative delirium and guide anesthetic choice or monitoring to reduce that risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior observational work, including a 220-patient cohort under sevoflurane, linked lower intraoperative frontal alpha power to higher postoperative delirium risk, but a direct head-to-head comparison of propofol versus sevoflurane for EEG spectral differences is novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Adult patients undergoing elective electrophysiological interventions, such as atrial fibrillation ablation procedures, under general anesthesia * Capable to give informed consent * French-speaking patients Exclusion Criteria: * Need for a premedication with benzodiazepine before anesthesia * Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (\< 50%) or underlying cardiac pathology requiring a more balanced anesthesia (administration of benzodiazepine and/or ketamine during anesthesia) * Preoperative MoCA score \< 26/30 (for patients \> ou = 55 years old) * Patients treated with anti-epileptic drugs * Patients treated with benzodiazepines (ex: for anxiolysis or sleep disorders) * Emergencies * Morbid obesity (BMI \> 40kg/m2) * Background of severe postoperative nausea/vomit
Where it's running
-
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Brussels, Belgium Recruiting
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Biomarker study to predict Vagus Nerve Stimulation response in adults with refractory epilepsy
This study tests whether biomarkers and network measures can predict how adults with refractory epilepsy will respond to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) after implantation.
-
How SpO₂ Changes During Reoxygenation After Breath-Holds
This study tests how peripheral oxygen saturation readings from pulse oximeters behave during deliberate breath-holds and rapid reoxygenation in healthy adults.
-
Zero Echo Time MRI with pseudo-CT for lumbar spine bone problems
This study tests MRI using pseudo-CT sequences (ZTE/UTE) to see if it can match or improve over CT for people with lumbar spine bone issues who would normally get a CT scan.
-
Myokines in metabolic and endocrine diseases linked to sarcopenia
This study tests whether myokines can serve as biomarkers or drivers of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in people with metabolic or endocrine diseases.
-
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Acute Low Back Pain in EDs
This trial tests whether TENS can relieve acute low back pain in adults who come to the emergency department.
-
Restoring fertility by autografting frozen immature testicular tissue
This pilot trial will try transplanting a man's own immature testicular tissue, frozen during childhood, back into adult men with azoospermia who want to have children.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.