Articles: function.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2014
ReviewEvidence for the use of preoperative risk assessment scores in elective cranial neurosurgery: a systematic review of the literature.
Preoperative risk scores are designed to guide patient management by providing a means of predicting operative outcome. Several risk scores are used in neurosurgery, but studies on their clinical relevance are scarce. Therefore, it is not clear whether these risk scores are beneficial or helpful in predicting outcome after elective cranial neurosurgery. In this review, we summarize the current scientific evidence for using preoperative risk scores in elective cranial neurosurgery. ⋯ Large prospective studies are needed to validate the use of the reviewed risk scores in elective cranial neurosurgery. It appears, however, that the patient's preoperative physical and functional status can be used to predict the short- and long-term outcome in elective cranial neurosurgery.
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Phosphodiesterase 2A (PDE2A) is an evolutionarily conserved enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of the cyclic nucleotides, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and/or cyclic guanosine monophosphate. Recent studies reported the expression of PDE2A in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, pointing to a potential contribution to the processing of pain. However, the functions of PDE2A in spinal pain processing in vivo remained elusive. ⋯ Our findings indicate that PDE2A contributes to the processing of inflammatory pain in the spinal cord.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2014
The Role of Hippocampal Tau Protein Phosphorylation in Isoflurane-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in Transgenic APP695 Mice.
Previous studies have shown that exposure to inhaled anesthetics can cause cognitive dysfunction, suggesting that general anesthesia might be a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer disease. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we tested our hypothesis that enhanced tau protein phosphorylation in hippocampus contributes to isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease. ⋯ Isoflurane may induce cognitive dysfunction by enhancing phosphorylation of hippocampal tau protein at Ser262 site, and this effect is more significant in transgenic APP695 mice.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2014
Hydrogen-Rich Saline Improves Survival and Neurological Outcome after Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Rats.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death worldwide. Three-fourths of cardiac arrest patients die before hospital discharge or experience significant neurological damage. Hydrogen-rich saline, a portable, easily administered, and safe means of delivering hydrogen gas, can exert organ-protective effects through regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. We designed this study to investigate whether hydrogen-rich saline treatment could improve survival and neurological outcome after cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the mechanism responsible for this effect. ⋯ Hydrogen-rich saline treatment improved survival and neurological outcome after cardiac arrest/resuscitation in rats, which was partially mediated by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.
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In this article, the authors explore functional connectivity and network topology in electroencephalography recordings of patients with delirium after cardiac surgery, aiming to improve the understanding of the pathophysiology and phenomenology of delirium. The authors hypothesize that disturbances in attention and consciousness in delirium may be related to alterations in functional neural interactions. ⋯ Loss of α band functional connectivity, decreased path length, and increased δ band connectivity directed to frontal regions characterize the electroencephalography during delirium after cardiac surgery. These findings may explain why information processing is disturbed in delirium.