Key result
Current evidence regarding anesthetic neurotoxicity in the developing brain remains inconclusive, with insufficient data to make unambiguous recommendations on the safety of general anesthesia in neonates and young children.
Why the study?
It remains unclear whether preclinical evidence of general anesthetic neurotoxicity in developing brains translates to children, or whether a single exposure confers long-term neurodevelopmental risks.
Does general anesthetic exposure cause neurotoxicity and long-term neuro-developmental risks in the developing brain?
Does general anesthetic exposure cause neurotoxicity and long-term neuro-developmental risks in the developing brain?
Current evidence on anesthetic neurotoxicity in the developing brain remains inconclusive, and routine pediatric anesthesia practice does not currently require modification beyond adopting mitigating strategies.
Uncertainty remains on long-term neurodevelopmental risks from single childhood anesthesia exposure; leaves open need for definitive human trials.
During the past two decades, a vast number of studies done on rodents and nonhuman primates have implicated general anesthetic exposure of developing brains in producing neurotoxicity leading to various structural and functional neurological abnormalities with cognitive and behavioral deficits later in life. However, it is still unclear whether these findings translate to children and whether single exposure to anesthesia in childhood can have long-term neuro-developmental risks. Considering the fact that a large number of healthy young children are undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia globally, any such potential neurocognitive risk of pediatric anesthesia is a serious public health issue and is therefore important to understand. This review aims to assess the current preclinical and clinical evidence related to anesthetic neurotoxicity.
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Gupta et al. (2020) conducted a review in Anesthetic neurotoxicity in the developing brain. General anesthetic exposure vs. Unexposed or regional anesthesia was evaluated on Neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes. Current evidence regarding anesthetic neurotoxicity in the developing brain remains inconclusive, with insufficient data to make unambiguous recommendations on the safety of general anesthesia in neonates and young children.
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