Dexmedetomidine produces more sleep-like brain activity compared with propofol in human participants.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Dexmedetomidine is a selective α₂-adrenergic agonist used as an anaesthesia adjunct to produce a state of sleep-like sedation. How brain activity compares quantitatively during dexmedetomidine anaesthesia with that during natural sleep remains unclear. We have shown that the general anaesthetic propofol is associated with changes in connectivity and cortical network structure similar to sleep. Here, we compare quantitatively the effects of dexmedetomidine, propofol, and sleep on brain activity.

Methods

Intracranial encephalography recordings were obtained in 34 patients with epilepsy being evaluated for seizure resection surgery. Band power, functional connectivity, and network entropy were measured during task-free periods just before surgery, during a

SUBMITTER: Krause BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12668097 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature