US EPA

5394548 

Journal Article 

Review 

An update on anesthetics and impact on the brain 

Fodale, V; Tripodi, VF; Penna, O; Famà, F; Squadrito, F; Mondello, E; David, A 

2017 

Yes 

Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
ISSN: 1474-0338 

16 

9 

997-1008 

English 

28697315 

10.1080/14740338.2017.1351539 

WOS:000409557300003 

INTRODUCTION: While anesthetics are indispensable clinical tools and generally considered safe and effective, a growing concern over the potential neurotoxicity of anesthesia or specific anesthetic agents has called into question the safety of general anesthetics, especially when administered at extremes of age. Areas covered: This article reviews and updates research findings on the safety of anesthesia and anesthetics in terms of long-term neurotoxicity, with particular focus on postoperative cognitive dysfunctions, Alzheimer's disease and dementias, developing brain, post-operative depression and autism spectrum disorder. Expert opinion: Exposure to general anesthetics is potentially harmful to the human brain, and the consequent long-term cognitive deficits should be classified as an iatrogenic pathology, and considered a public health problem. The fact that in laboratory and clinical research only certain anesthetic agents and techniques, but not others, appear to be involved, raises the problem on what is the safest and the least safe anesthetic to maximize anesthesia efficiency, avoid occurrence of adverse events, and ensure patient safety. New trends in research are moving toward the theory that neuroinflammation could be the hallmark of, or could have a pivotal role in, several neurological disorders.