Developmental Anesthesia Neurotoxicity Research in Humans: Moving the Concept

Editorial| September 2024 Developmental Anesthesia Neurotoxicity Research in Humans: Moving the Concept Laszlo Vutskits, M.D., Ph.D.; Laszlo Vutskits, M.D., Ph.D. 1Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care, and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Geneva Neuroscience Center, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8752-9588 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Andrew J. Davidson, M.B.B.S., M.D. Andrew J. Davidson, M.B.B.S., M.D. 2Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Critical Care, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Author and Article Information Accepted for publication June 7, 2024. This editorial accompanies the article on p. 489. Address correspondence to Dr. Vutskits: Anesthesiology September 2024, Vol. 141, 431–433. https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000005126 Connected Content Article: Exposure to Operative Anesthesia in Childhood and Subsequent Neurobehavioral Diagnoses: A Natural Experiment Using Appendectomy Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Cite Icon Cite Get Permissions Search Site Citation Laszlo Vutskits, Andrew J. Davidson; Developmental Anesthesia Neurotoxicity Research in Humans: Moving the Concept. Anesthesiology 2024; 141:431–433 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000005126 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll PublicationsAnesthesiology Search Advanced Search Topics: neurotoxicity syndromes There are many observational studies investigating the relationship between anesthesia exposure in childhood and later neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes. In this issue of Anesthesiology, Silber et al.1 report another such observational study. This study, however, is different, and the data can be interpreted in two different ways, both of which provide important new insights into this research. To appreciate the work at its true value, it is important to remember that evaluating the specific impact of early-life exposure to general anesthetics on subsequent neurocognitive and behavioral development in children is hampered by the inherent complexity of the perioperative period. The concomitant presence of surgery is generally considered as the most important confounding in this regard. Likewise, it is widely agreed that, in contrast to preclinical science, human investigations on developmental anesthesia neurotoxicity are focused on the combined effects of anesthesia and surgery rather than on anesthesia exposure... You do not currently have access to this content.