Developmental Neurotoxicity: An Update.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Neuroscience
• Toxicology

Background:

• Developmental neurotoxicity from anesthesia is a growing concern.
• Understanding anesthetic effects on the developing brain requires updated research.
• The Pediatric Anesthesia Neurodevelopmental Assessment (PANDA) symposium 2018 addressed this critical area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current translational and clinical research on anesthetic neurotoxicity.
• To provide an update on the understanding of how anesthetics affect neurodevelopment.
• To synthesize findings presented at the PANDA symposium 2018.

Main Methods:

• Review of translational research, including rodent and nonhuman primate models.
• Application of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOP) methodology to anesthetic neurotoxicity.
• Analysis of clinical studies published in 2017 focusing on academic performance, clinical outcomes, and neuropsychological testing.

Main Results:

• Translational research progresses from rodent models to nonhuman primates.
• Adverse Outcome Pathways provide a framework for understanding toxicity mechanisms.
• Clinical studies examined academic performance, diagnoses, and neuropsychological test results.

Conclusions:

• Anesthetic neurotoxicity is an evolving field with ongoing research.
• Multidisciplinary approaches, including toxicology and clinical studies, are essential.
• Further investigation is needed to fully understand and mitigate risks.