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Related Concept Videos

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

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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.
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Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics01:19

Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics

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Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
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General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

General Anesthesia: Overview

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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.
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Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

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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...
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Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects01:21

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects

544
Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
Unlike...
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Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects01:12

Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 26, 2025

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

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Anesthesia and surgery induce a functional decrease in excitatory synaptic transmission in prefrontal cortex neurons,

Yu Matsumoto1, Yuji Fujino2, Hidemasa Furue3

  • 1Department of Neurophysiology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|July 31, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Anesthesia and surgery reduce excitatory brain signals in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), impacting behavior. Intraoperative dexmedetomidine prevented these changes, offering a potential protective strategy against postoperative delirium (POD).

Keywords:
Behavioral changeDexmedetomidineExcitatory postsynaptic currentsIntraoperative administrationPlastic changePostoperative delirium

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Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention
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Last Updated: Oct 26, 2025

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

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Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
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Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Anesthesiology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common complication following anesthesia and surgery, characterized by confusion and inattention.
  • The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is crucial for executive functions, but its role in POD pathogenesis is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate neurofunctional changes in the mouse PFC induced by anesthesia and surgery.
  • To determine the effects of intraoperative dexmedetomidine on these changes.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were used to assess PFC neuronal activity at the synaptic level in mice undergoing laparotomy under isoflurane anesthesia.
  • Behavioral tests were conducted to evaluate natural and learned behaviors.
  • The impact of intraoperative dexmedetomidine was examined.

Main Results:

  • Anesthesia and surgery decreased the frequency of excitatory synaptic responses in PFC pyramidal neurons without altering response kinetics, intrinsic properties, or inhibitory synaptic transmission.
  • Behavioral changes indicative of cognitive impairment were observed in the anesthesia/surgery group.
  • Intraoperative dexmedetomidine administration prevented the reduction in excitatory synaptic transmission and preserved normal behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • Anesthesia and surgery induce a selective functional reduction in PFC excitatory synaptic transmission, contributing to behavioral alterations.
  • Intraoperative dexmedetomidine effectively inhibits this plastic change in PFC excitatory synaptic input, suggesting a neuroprotective role.