Changes of latency and amplitude of short latency somatosensory evoked potentials during slow induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane

In the present study, changes of latency and amplitude of short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were evaluated continuously during slow induction of anesthesia from sevoflurane awake to deep levels of anesthesia in eight scheduled surgical patients. Not consistent with other previous investigations, the latency of N20 was significantly shortened with sevoflurane after 25 minutes from the beginning of inhalation compared with the awake control levels. No increase of latency was observed. The amplitudes of N20 were decreased with sevoflurane anesthesia in relation to duration of anesthesia. These results suggest that sevoflurane alone might have no marked pharmacological properties to change the latency of SSEPs even in the deep level of anesthesia.