Time–frequency properties of electroencephalogram during induction of anesthesia

A method for detailed description of the time–frequency characteristics of electroencephalogram during induction of anesthesia is proposed. The method, based on averaging of time-normalized smoothed pseudo-Wigner–Ville distributions, is applied to data recorded from nine patients undergoing propofol anesthesia. An extensive representation of the frequency progression pattern related to the induction of anesthesia is given and the time–frequency characteristics that are consistent/not consistent between patients are determined. It is also illustrated how four different clinical end-points, generally used in the assessment of the depth of anesthesia, can be related to different phases of the frequency progression pattern. The method presented has importance in providing information about the neurophysiological phenomenon during induction of anesthesia and can therefore be used in the development of new monitoring algorithms.