Analysis of intracranial pressure during acute intracranial hypertension using Lempel–Ziv complexity: further evidence

Abstract

We analyzed intracranial pressure (ICP) signals during periods of acute intracranial hypertension (ICH) using the Lempel-Ziv (LZ) complexity measure. Our results indicate the LZ complexity of ICP decreases during periods of ICH. The mean LZ complexity before ICH was 0.20+/-0.04, while the mean LZ complexity during ICH was 0.16+/-0.03 (p<0.05). The mean decrease of the LZ complexity values during the ICH episodes was 19.5%. Additionally, we present preliminary evidence suggesting that periods of ICH may be detectable from non-invasive signals coupled with ICP, such as pulse oximetry (SpO2).