Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
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We review topics pertinent to the perioperative care of patients with neurological disorders. Our review addresses topics not only in the anesthesiology literature, but also in basic neurosciences, critical care medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, radiology, and internal medicine literature. ⋯ As our review is not able to include all manuscripts, we focus on recurring themes and unique and pivotal investigations. We address the broad topics of general neuroanesthesia, stroke, traumatic brain injury, anesthetic neurotoxicity, neuroprotection, pharmacology, physiology, and nervous system monitoring.
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2014
Review Comparative StudyDual Effects of Ketamine: Neurotoxicity Versus Neuroprotection in Anesthesia for the Developing Brain.
Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is widely used in pediatric anesthesia. Recently, a series of animal studies have shown that ketamine may have neurotoxic effects on the developing brain and that these effects can later cause neurofunctional impairment. However, other studies have also shown that ketamine protects the central nervous system by inhibiting inflammation in the developing brain. ⋯ Moreover, the repeated ketamine usage may be neurotoxic to immature brains in the absence of noxious stimuli, whereas it may be neuroprotective in the same brains in the presence of strong painful stimuli. Balancing the neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects of ketamine on the developing brain may be possible, but further study is required. The therapeutic window during which precritical surgeries can be performed remains undefined.