Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Neurosphere Assay to Evaluate Endogenous Neural Stem Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Minimal Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: September 13, 2018
Spine Surgery under general anesthesia may not increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease
1Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Background:
Volatile anesthetics cause Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like neuropathology in animals. We determined whether spine surgery under general anesthesia and anesthetic choice contributed to AD development.
Methods:
We searched the Clinical Data Repository of the University of Virginia for patients receiving spine surgery from January 1, 1992 to March 1, 2004. Patients with newly-diagnosed AD after the surgery but before March 1, 2009 (a minimal 5-year follow-up time after the surgery) were identified.
Results:
Among 10,161 spine surgery patients, 26 patients had new-onset AD. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of the data from these 26 patients and from 161 randomly selected spine surgery patients without new-onset AD suggest that increasing age is a risk factor for new-onset AD. Gender, anesthesia/surgery time, use of volatile anesthetics versus propofol (an intravenous anesthetic) and length of hospital stay were not different between patients with and without new-onset AD. Similar results were found with the case-control study. The frequency of new-onset AD in spine surgery patients was similar to that of patients who had never had a surgery.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that increasing age is a risk factor for AD in patients after spine surgery. Anesthesia/surgery may not be independent factors for AD development.
Related Concept Videos
General Anesthesia: Overview
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia
Stages of General Anesthesia
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses
