EEG analysis for long term monitoring in the ICU

It has been shown that the management of patients with head trauma, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage and other cerebrovascular disorders can benefit from the continuous monitoring of the electroencephalogram (EEG). However, the optimal technology to perform this monitoring is not yet available. Present devices are either too expensive or require a full-time technician to operate them. The authors have designed a prototype for a small, low-cost ICU monitor to monitor neurological function continuously. A significant part of this effort is the development of algorithms to detect and predict the trend of changes in the EEG. An overview of their experience in this area is presented.<>