A University of Pennsylvania study has found that anesthesia and surgery may be associated with the progression of chronic brain diseases, particularly Alzheimer's, according to a Health News report.
According to study author Roderic Eckenhoff, MD, the human biomarker study lends some credibility to the notion that anesthesia and surgery produce an inflammatory insult on the brain and accelerate some chronic brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
The study researchers collected cerebral spinal fluid from 11 patients both before and in four intervals after routine endoscopic nasal surgery, according to the report. The researchers explained that certain "biomarkers" for Alzheimer's disease are found in cerebral spinal fluid, and measuring those indicators can help detect which patients will suffer from full-blown Alzheimer's.
The researchers said that high levels of tau protein and decreased amyloid beta in cerebral spinal fluid are generally considered signs of the disease. The study found that total tau increased significantly six hours after surgery and continued to rise 48 hours after the operation.
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According to study author Roderic Eckenhoff, MD, the human biomarker study lends some credibility to the notion that anesthesia and surgery produce an inflammatory insult on the brain and accelerate some chronic brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
The study researchers collected cerebral spinal fluid from 11 patients both before and in four intervals after routine endoscopic nasal surgery, according to the report. The researchers explained that certain "biomarkers" for Alzheimer's disease are found in cerebral spinal fluid, and measuring those indicators can help detect which patients will suffer from full-blown Alzheimer's.
The researchers said that high levels of tau protein and decreased amyloid beta in cerebral spinal fluid are generally considered signs of the disease. The study found that total tau increased significantly six hours after surgery and continued to rise 48 hours after the operation.
Related Articles on Anesthesia:
Washington Surgeon Suspended Over Patient Death From Anesthetic
University of Virginia's Pain Center Continues Pioneering Tradition
Anesthesiologist Dr. David Dugan Joins Board of Kansas' Providence Medical Center