British journal of anaesthesia
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Comparative Study
Differential effects of the novel neurosteroid hypnotic (3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile on electroencephalogram activity in male and female rats.
We recently showed that a neurosteroid analogue, (3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile (3β-OH), induced hypnosis in rats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypnotic and anaesthetic potential of 3β-OH further using electroencephalography. ⋯ Based on its behavioural effects and EEG signature, 3β-OH is a potent hypnotic in rats, with female rats being more sensitive than male rats.
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Review Meta Analysis
Preoperative inflammatory mediators and postoperative delirium: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Postoperative delirium has eluded attempts to define its complex aetiology and describe specific risk factors. The role of neuroinflammation as a risk factor, determined by measuring blood levels of preoperative 'innate' inflammatory mediator levels, has been investigated. However, results have been conflicting. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on associations between preoperative blood levels of inflammatory mediators and postoperative delirium in the older person. Influence of type of surgery was also assessed. ⋯ CRD42019159471 (PROSPERO).
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Editorial Comment
Long-term evidence of neonatal anaesthesia neurotoxicity linked to behavioural phenotypes in monkeys: where do we go from here?
Whether anaesthesia exposure early in life leads to brain damage with long-lasting structural and behavioural consequences in primates has not been conclusively determined. A study in the British Journal of Anaesthesia by Neudecker and colleagues found that 2 yr after early anaesthesia exposure, monkeys exhibited signs of chronic astrogliosis which correlate with behavioural deficits. Given the increasing frequency of exposure to anaesthetics in infancy in humans, clinical trials are greatly needed to understand how sedative/anaesthetic agents may be impacting brain and behaviour development.
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In this issue of the British Journal of Anaesthesia, Joksimovic and colleagues report significant sex differences in sensitivity to the behavioural and neurophysiological effects of 3β-OH, a novel neurosteroid anesthetic. Female rats were more sensitive to the effects of 3β-OH than male rats, although the mechanims remain unclear. Sex differences have been understudied in anaesthesia research, and this article by Joksimovic and colleagues emphasizes the need to devote more effort to understanding these differences.