Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists01:30

Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists

Cognitive enhancers, also known as "smart drugs," are substances used to enhance memory, mental alertness, and concentration. These can be natural or synthetic and improve cognition in conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Some common examples include caffeine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, arecoline, donepezil, vortioxetine, and piracetam. These enhancers work on the principle of synaptic plasticity and altered circuit function. They...
General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

General Anesthesia: Overview

Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
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: Adverse Effects01:12

Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects

While local anesthetics are generally safe and well-tolerated, they can occasionally cause adverse effects that vary in severity. Local anesthetics can induce toxicity at two distinct levels. They can either produce local effects through direct contact with the neural elements or be absorbed into the bloodstream from the injection site, leading to systemic effects.
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Perioperative interventions in preventing postoperative delirium following orthopaedic surgery in the elderly: a Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Journal of orthopaedic translation·2026
Same author

Excitatory paraventricular thalamus-posterior insular cortex circuit mediates pain-anxiety comorbidity in diabetic neuropathy.

Translational psychiatry·2026
Same author

Mitochondrial flagella-like extensions (MitoFLARE) dysfunction triggers STING-mediated immune dysregulation in sepsis.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Sleep deprivation induces anxiety-like behaviors through IL-6 driven astrocyte-GABAergic neuron crosstalk in the PAG-ACC circuit.

Journal of neuroinflammation·2026
Same author

Advancements and insights into newborn screening with tandem mass spectrometry in China: a comprehensive descriptive analysis (2017-2021).

BMJ paediatrics open·2026
Same author

Intracellular sclerostin promotes tumor progression and metastasis as a potential therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer.

Cell reports. Medicine·2026
Same journal

Influence of perioperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on complications after gastrointestinal surgery: A meta-analysis.

Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists·2017
Same journal

Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting following gynecological laparoscopy: A comparison of standard anesthetic technique and propofol infusion.

Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists·2016
Same journal

Preincisional and postoperative epidural morphine, ropivacaine, ketamine, and naloxone treatment for postoperative pain management in upper abdominal surgery.

Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists·2016
Same journal

Perioperative medicine and Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists·2016
Same journal

Alvimopan for post-operative ileus: What we should know?

Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists·2016
Same journal

The risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting between surgical patients received propofol and sevoflurane anesthesia: A matched study.

Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists·2016
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
09:49

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: January 20, 2023

Do inhalational anesthetics cause cognitive dysfunction?

Rele Ologunde1, Daqing Ma

  • 1Department of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.

Acta Anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : Official Journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists
|January 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Inhalational anesthetics may contribute to postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), particularly in older adults. This review explores the mechanisms linking anesthesia to cognitive changes, including amyloid-beta accumulation and neuroinflammation.

More Related Videos

Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers
14:52

Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers

Published on: January 13, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
09:49

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: January 20, 2023

Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers
14:52

Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers

Published on: January 13, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a potential complication of surgery and anesthesia, impacting quality of life, especially in the elderly.
  • Clinical studies show conflicting results regarding the association between inhalational anesthetics and POCD.
  • Animal studies suggest potential mechanisms involving amyloid-beta, neurotransmission, synaptic function, and calcium homeostasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of inhalational anesthetics in the development of POCD.
  • To explore the underlying biological mechanisms linking inhalational anesthetics to cognitive impairment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical and animal studies.
  • Analysis of evidence on neuroinflammation and cytokine involvement.

Main Results:

  • Inhalational anesthetics are increasingly implicated in POCD development, especially in elderly patients.
  • Animal models suggest mechanisms including amyloid-beta accumulation, altered neurotransmission, synaptic changes, and calcium dysregulation.
  • Neuroinflammation and pro-inflammatory cytokines may also contribute to POCD.

Conclusions:

  • Inhalational anesthetics may play a role in the etiology of POCD.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms and clinical implications.