Memory loss after anesthesia could be prevented by blocking a receptor thought to contribute to memory deficits, according to a study published in the Nov. 2010 issue of Anesthesiology.
Memory loss following anesthesia is a common adverse event, especially among elderly patients. Around 47 percent of elderly patients who underwent general anesthesia for minor surgical procedures exhibit memory deficits for at least 24 hours post-surgery, according to the report. The causes for memory loss after anesthesia are relatively poorly understood.
The study looked at two groups of anesthetized mice, one treated with a drug that blocks a receptor thought to contribute to memory deficits, and one treated with a control solution. The memory deficit in the post-surgical period was prevented by the drug that blocked the receptor, according to the study.
Read the abstract on "Short-term Memory Impairment after Isoflurance in Mice is Prevented by the a5 ?-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Inverse Agonist L-655,708."
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