Low-dose Droperidol Reduces the Amplitude of Transcranial Electrical Motor-evoked Potential: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial

Background: Low-dose droperidol has been reported to suppress the amplitude of transcranial electrical motor-evoked potentials (TCE-MEPs), but no randomized controlled trials have been conducted to assess this. This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial aimed to test the hypothesis that low-dose droperidol reduced TCE-MEP amplitudes. Methods: Twenty female patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, aged between 12 and 20 years, and scheduled to undergo corrective surgery were randomly allocated to receive droperidol (20 mu g/kg) or 0.9% saline. After recording baseline TCE-MEPs, the test drug was administered, following which TCE-MEP recordings were carried out every 2 minutes for up to 10 minutes. The primary outcome was the minimum relative TCE-MEP amplitude (peak-to-peak amplitude, percentage of baseline value) recorded in the left tibialis anterior muscle. Secondary outcomes included minimum relative MEP amplitudes recorded from all other muscle groups monitored in the study. Data are expressed as medians (interquartile range). Results: The TCE-MEP amplitude of the left tibialis anterior muscle was significantly reduced following droperidol administration compared with saline (37% [30% to 55%] vs. 76% [58% to 93%], respectively, P<0.01). In the other muscles, the amplitudes were reduced in the droperidol group, except for the bilateral abductor pollicis brevis and the left quadriceps femoris muscles. The relative amplitude of the bilateral F waves recorded from the gastrocnemius was decreased in the droperidol group. Conclusions: Low-dose droperidol (20 mu g/kg) reduced TCE-MEP amplitudes. Anesthesiologists should pay attention to the timing of droperidol administration during intraoperative TCE-MEP recordings, even if used in a low dose.

Automated summary

This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial investigated the effect of low-dose droperidol on transcranial electrical motor-evoked potentials (TCE-MEP) amplitudes. The results showed that droperidol significantly reduced TCE-MEP amplitudes, highlighting the importance of timing droperidol administration during intraoperative TCE-MEP recordings for anesthesiologists.