OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on auto regressive with exogenous input model (ARX-model) auditory evoked index (AAI) in patients anesthetized with different anesthetics.

METHODSForty-eight adult patients undergoing scheduled surgical operation were enrolled and divided into two groups (24 in each group) according to the anesthetics applied, Group A was anesthetized with propofol sedation and Group B with Isoflurane-epidural anesthesia. Group A was subdivided into three groups of low, middle and high concentration of target effect-site of 1.0 microg/ml, 1.5 microg/ml and 2.0 microg/ml through target controlled infusion (TCI) and Group B into 3 subgroups of minimum alveolar effective concentration of isoflurane (0.4 MAC, 0.6 MAC and 0.8 MAC for B1, B2 and B3 subgroups) respectively, with 8 patients in every subgroup. EA on acupoints of Hegu (LI4) and Neiguan (P6) was applied on all the patients during anesthesia, and the change of AAI at various time points was recorded.

RESULTSIn the three subgroups of Group A, levels of AAI were significantly elevated in the first few minutes after EA, and significantly lowered 20 min after EA in subgroup A2. While in the subgroups of Group B, except the elevating in Group B1 1-2 min after EA, levels of AAI remained unchanged at other time points.

CONCLUSIONPain response could be reflected by AAI during EA. EA could enhance the sedative effect of propofol in middle concentration, but its effect on isoflurane epidural anesthesia is insignificant.