The goal of this Phase II project is to continue development of a low-cost, computer-based system which will provide continuous neurological function monitoring of patients in an intensive care unit. The Phase I work showed the feasibility of such a system. The system will record, analyze, and trend changes in the background electroencephalogram, sensory evoked potentials, and a number of other parameters such as intracranial pressure and blood pressure on a continuous basis. It has been shown that such continuous monitoring can greatly improve the management and outcome of several patient groups including severely brain-injured patients, coma, stroke, and subarachnoid hemorrhages. Currently this type of monitoring is not done on a widespread basis due to a number of technical and economic problems which innovations from this project hope to overcome. Continued work on algorithms for artifact detection, data analysis, and data display as well as optimization of the hardware in terms of size and cost will be conducted at Interspec. Clinical testing, development of monitoring protocols, and prediction strategies will follow at two institutions involved in neurological intensive care. The commercial potential is excellent for a low-cost, automated monitor which would allow widespread use of techniques which could significantly improve the outcome of those in a neurological intensive care unit.
