TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION AND CLINICAL FINDINGS RESULTS OF MONITORING OXYGEN-SATURATION IN PATIENTS REFERRED FOR LONG-TERM EEG MONITORING/

Recent technical developments allow the recording of a patient's oxyge n saturation (SpO(2)) simultaneously with intensive long-term EEG moni toring (LTM). Clinically significant information from this enhanced mu lti-system physiological monitoring device can contribute to more accu rate diagnoses in patients referred for LTM. This report covers the te chnical usage of combined SpO(3)/EEG recordings in a small group of pa tients. Clinically the findings on the SpO(2) monitor helped to define the diagnosis in many of these patients. In a few, the SpO(2) changes were diagnostic in their own right and prompted referral to our Sleep Disorders Laboratory. From a research aspect, the details of the morp hology and timing of the oxygen desaturations and EEG show several int eresting relationships with respect to the dynamics of seizure semiolo gy and respiratory physiology.