Which electrophysiological modality is most affected by propofol?

Propofol is known to have significant effects on the central nervous system, leading to alterations in various neurological assessments. In terms of electrophysiological modalities, mid-latency auditory responses are particularly sensitive to anesthetic agents, including propofol.

When using mid-latency auditory responses, which typically assess the function of the auditory pathway from the cochlea to the thalamus and cortex, the administration of propofol can markedly suppress the amplitude of these responses. This suppression occurs because propofol depresses central nervous system activity, affecting the neural transmission involved in auditory processing.

In contrast to mid-latency auditory responses, the other modalities, such as visual evoked potentials, somatosensory evoked potentials, and motor evoked potentials, are influenced by propofol as well but to a lesser extent. Visual evoked potentials can also show changes, but they are generally not as drastically affected as the auditory responses. Somatosensory evoked potentials may demonstrate changes in latency and amplitude, yet they typically have more robust responses to changes in anesthesia compared to mid-latency auditory responses. Motor evoked potentials can be affected depending on dosages and specific contexts, but again, the impact is generally less pronounced than