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NCT Number: NCT06067750

Comparison of Narcotrend and Cerebral Function Analysing Monitor in Intensive Care to Monitor Seizures and Deep Sedation

A study in the use of the Narcotrend depth of anaesthesia monitor to record a) seizures, and b) monitor a level of sedation referred to as 'burst suppression', in sedated patients in the adult and paediatric intensive care.

Studies have shown that patients in coma on the intensive care unit may have subclinical in addition to clinical seizures. Subclinical seizures are seizures that do not show any outward signs and may go undetected.

The current gold standard of recording seizures in the intensive care unit is by non-invasive, continuous monitoring of the electrical activity of the brain by electroencephalography (cEEG) using cerebral function analysing monitor (CFAM).

This is recorded with simultaneous video recording and is performed by Clinical Neurophysiology departments.

There has been a steady increase in demand for this service over recent years. Additionally, CFAM / cEEG is labour intensive and expensive. If trends continue, the proportion of hospitals offering CFAM / cEEG will continue to rise, creating increased demand for specialist staff, of which there are a finite number.

Depth of anaesthesia monitors are used by anaesthetists to assess the level of anaesthesia in sedated patients using specialised, automated EEG analysis and are now recommended by NICE (DG6) to tailor anaesthetic dose to individual patients.

This study aims to investigate the utility of the Narcotrend depth of anaesthesia monitor to monitor for seizures and burst suppression on the adult and paediatric intensive care unit. These monitors are cheaper and more widely available with the scope to be used at every bed space requiring neuro observation on the intensive care unit.

The study aims to recruit all patients who are referred for CFAM / cEEG monitoring at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) Trust over a 12 month period. These patients will undergo simultaneous recording using CFAM / cEEG and depth of anaesthesia monitoring.

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Key information

Conditions

Traumatic Brain Injury Acute Ischemic Stroke Brain Diseases Brain Injuries Brain Injuries, Traumatic Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebral Hemorrhage Cerebrovascular Disorders Craniocerebral Trauma Encephalitis Hematoma Hematoma, Subdural Hemorrhage ICP (Intracranial Pressure) Increase Intracerebral Haemorrhage Intracranial Hemorrhage, Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhages Intracranial Hypertension Ischemic Stroke Nervous System Diseases Neuroinflammatory Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Seizures Signs and Symptoms Status Epilepticus Stroke Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Subdural Hematoma Trauma, Nervous System Vascular Diseases Wounds and Injuries

Age range

1 month and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom

About this study

A non-invasive, prospective, observational, qualitative, comparative study performed on the adult and paediatric intensive care unit of NUH Trust. Study population will be all adult and paediatric patients referred for CFAM monitoring, including, but not limited to patients who are at risk of seizures due to status epilepticus, haemorrhage and traumatic brain injury.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Intensive care CFAM is recommended but not confined to identify non-convulsive seizures and non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) in critically ill patients with the following:

  • Persistently abnormal mental status following generalised convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE) or other clinically evident seizures.
  • Acute supratentorial brain injury with altered mental status. This includes traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, encephalitis, acute ischemic stroke, and during and after therapeutic hypothermia following cardiac arrest.
  • Fluctuating mental status or unexplained alteration of mental status without known acute brain injury: Mental status abnormalities can include agitation, lethargy, fixed or fluctuating neurologic deficits such as aphasia or neglect, obtundation, and coma.
  • Patients requiring pharmacological paralysis and risk for seizures.
  • Clinical paroxysmal events suspected to be seizures, to determine whether they are ictal or non-ictal
  • Patients with suggested secondary brain injury e.g. those with increased intracranial pressure.
  • Monitoring of the response of seizures and status epilepticus to treatment and to a level of burst suppression

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients where CFAM has been requested but a routine EEG is thought to be more appropriate, eg. in cases where a routine 20 minute EEG would answer the clinical / referral question.
  • Next of kin will not be approached to consent for the patient to be enrolled into the study where clinical condition dictates that it would not be appropriate eg. imminent withdrawal of care.
  • Participants will be excluded from the study where consent is not granted or withdrawn. This may be at commencement of the study by parents of paediatric patients or next of kin of adult patients.
  • Data gained from patients who regain capacity to give retrospective consent and then withdraw will also be excluded.

Treatment and study plan

Narcotrend compared to Cerebral Function Analysing Monitor (CFAM)

Diagnostic Test

All patients will receive Narcotrend and CFAM monitoring in this observational study

Primary outcomes

  1. Seizure detection

    Time frame: Up to 72 hours monitoring of each patient

    The number of seizures detected and verified by the Narcotrend monitor when compared to the number of seizures detected by conventional CFAM / cEEG monitoring.

    Seizure activity is detected by analysing changes in brain activity. This is done by visually analysing waveforms

  2. Burst suppression monitoring

    Time frame: Up to 72 hours monitoring of each patient

    The number of periods of burst suppression detected and verified by the Narcotrend monitor when compared and detected by conventional CFAM / cEEG monitoring.

    Burst suppression is detected by analysing changes in brain activity. This is done by visually analysing waveforms

Secondary outcomes

  1. Interrater reliability

    Time frame: Up to 72 hours monitoring of each patient

    Compare the interrater reliability between clinical neurophysiology staff and the non-expert reviewers (intensivists / advanced critical care practitioners) in assessing seizures and periods of burst suppression activity using CFAM and Narcotrend equipment.

    The non-expert group will categorise the Narcotrend and CFAM recordings blindly and retrospectively. Their findings will then be compared to clinical neurophysiology findings for the same machines and categories to compare interrater agreement.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Narcotrend Depth of Anaesthesia Monitor as an Indicator of Seizures and Burst Suppression in the Intensive Care Unit

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Oct 5, 2023
Registry last updated
Jul 14, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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