Anesthesia and IONM

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is usually applied under general anesthesia. It is the responsibility of the anesthetist to avoid intraoperative wakefulness as well as too deep anesthetic states. In addition, analgesia adequately adapted to the respective procedure to prevent reflex movement is an essential prerequisite for safe surgery. Successful neuromonitoring depends not only on a smooth anesthetic management but also on the stability of vital parameters such as blood pressure, body temperature, and electrolyte balance. General knowledge of the effects of anesthetics on the central nervous system is required to understand their influence on IONM.