Anesthesia On the Brain
Posted by on August 13, 2013 - 10:33am

New research is surfacing that links anesthesia to inhibited cognitive developments in children under four. Significant brain development occurs in young children at this time, and ketamine—a common anesthetic—has been shown to affect the brain’s learning ability. Studies began back in 2003 when Merle Paule, Ph.D., director of the Division of Neurotoxicology at the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research, began observing the effects of ketamine on young rhesus monkeys, since this species closely resembles humans in physiology and behavior. While the ketamine-exposed monkeys performed cognitive experiments less accurately than the control group, the affect of ketamine on human children requires further research.

Interest in this area grew so much that, in 2010, the FDA and the International Anesthesia Research Society founded an initiative called Strategies for Mitigating Anesthesia-Related neuroToxicity in Tots, or “SmartTots” for short.  Director of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Addiction Products at FDA, Bob Rappaport, M.D. said, “Our hope is that research funded through SmartTots will help us design the safest anesthetic regimens possible.” SmartTots continues to advocate for research that can protect the millions of children who receive anesthesia each year.

Supplemental studies are necessary to understand whether all forms of anesthetics elicit similar deficits as ketamine, and, if so, how long these deficits last. Columbia University and the University of Iowa are currently exploring the effects of anesthesia on infant brain development and cognitive and language ability, thanks to the funding from SmartTots.  Until more conclusive data is published, parents are urged to work closely with their child’s clinicians in weighing all options and risks before exposing young children to anesthesia.

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Study Suggests Gender/Sex Differences in Cognition Impairment
Posted by on September 24, 2010 - 2:47pm

Older men may be at risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), often a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, earlier in life than older women, according to a study appearing today in Neurology. The study raises the question of whether there may be a gender difference in the development and progression of MCI.

Scientists evaluated the cognitive health of 1,969 dementia-free older people and found 16 percent showed signs of MCI, a condition usually marked by memory problems or other cognitive problems greater than those expected for their age. Prevalence was greater among the older participants, and it was consistently higher in men than women across all age ranges.

Ronald C. Petersen, Ph.D., M.D., and his team at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., conducted the research.

"Because evidence indicates that Alzheimer's disease may cause changes in the brain one or two decades before the first symptoms appear, there is intense interest in investigating MCI and the earliest stages of cognitive decline," said National Institute on Aging (NIA)  Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. "While more research is needed, these findings indicate that we may want to investigate differences in the way men and women develop MCI, similar to the way stroke and cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes vary between the sexes."

The researchers conducted in-person evaluations of 1,969 randomly selected people from all 70- to 89-year-olds living in Olmsted County, Minn. Results of the study indicated that:

  • Overall, MCI was more prevalent in men (19 percent) than in women (14 percent), even after adjusting for several demographic variables and clinical factors, such as hypertension and coronary artery disease.
  • Of the 16 percent affected with MCI, over twice as many people had the amnestic form that usually progresses to Alzheimer’s disease and the prevalence rate was higher in men than in women.
  • MCI prevalence was higher among people with the APOE e4 gene, a known risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's, a form of the disease that usually occurs at age 65 or older.
  • A greater number of years spent in school was significantly associated with decreased MCI prevalence, from 30 percent among participants with less than nine years of education to just 11 percent in those with more than 16 years of education.
  • MCI prevalence was higher in participants who never married, as opposed to those currently or previously married.

The researchers noted that estimates of MCI prevalence vary in studies conducted around the world but generally fall into a range of 11 to 20 percent. The Mayo team's evaluation of participants included detailed in-person assessments that helped to capture the subtle changes in daily function that may mark the onset of MCI, Petersen said. The researchers also noted that the study’s limitations include a relatively low participation rate by Olmstead County residents and the fact that the population is predominantly white. Thus, these findings may not apply to other ethnic groups.

Source:  NIH National Institute on Aging