Effects of halothane on the electroencephalogram of the chicken

Little is known about the effects of inhalant anaesthetics on the avian electroencephalogram (EEG). The effects of halothane on the avian EEG are of interest, as this agent has been widely used to study nociception and analgesia in mammals. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of halothane anaesthesia on the EEG of the chicken. Twelve female Hyline Brown chickens aged 8–10 weeks were anaesthetized with halothane in oxygen. For each bird, anaesthesia was progressively increased from 1–1.5 to 2 times the Minimum Anesthetic Concentration (MAC), then progressively decreased again. At each concentration, a sample of EEG was recorded after a 10‐min stabilization period. The mean Total Power (P(TOT)), Median Frequency (F50) and 95% Spectral Edge Frequency (F95) were calculated at each halothane MAC, along with the Burst Suppression Ratio (BSR). Burst suppression was rare and BSR did not differ between halothane concentrations. Increasing halothane concentration from 1 to 2 MAC resulted in a decrease in F50 and increase in P(TOT), while F95 increased when MAC was reduced from 1.5 to 1. The results indicate dose‐dependent spectral EEG changes consistent with deepening anaesthesia in response to increasing halothane MAC. As burst suppression was rare, even at 1.5 or 2 times MAC, halothane may be a suitable anaesthetic agent for use in future studies exploring EEG activity in anaesthetized birds.