EEG and dexmedetomidine
Research type
Research Study
Full title
EEG analysis of intensive care patients receiving dexmedetomidine
IRAS ID
190328
Contact name
Lee Allen
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Patients in intensive care usually require pain relief and sedation to treat both the underlying medical condition and the unpleasantness and apparent distress associated with being in an ICU. Consequently, sedatives and analgesics are among the most commonly administered drugs in ICUs. Despite the use of such drugs patients commonly experience mental disturbance manifest as delirium while being treated on the ICU and profound anxiety which can be a chronic problem.
It is difficult to diagnose delirium but a commonly used scoring system is the CAM-ICU. It is also difficult to treat delirium when present. One sedative regime has been suggested to be beneficial in preventing delirium - dexmedetomidine.
This pilot research project aims to examine the feasibility of using EEG recordings of brain activity to diagnose delirium and also to see if the use of dexmedetomidine is associated with a return to more normal EEG patterns in those with delirium.REC name
Scotland A: Adults with Incapacity only
REC reference
15/SS/0214
Date of REC Opinion
7 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion