A Review of Anesthetic Effects on the Developing Brain - Animal versus Human Models

Abstract

In the last 30 years a large amount of data, both animal and human, has come out indicating that perhaps the most commonly used general anesthetics (inhaled anesthetics such as nitrous oxide and iso/sevo/desflurane, but also propofol) may have an effect on the neurodevelopment of an unborn fetus. The neurotoxic effects of volatile anesthetics have been tested numerous times in animal models ranging from rats to primates, and there is a large amount of reliable data which have confirmed that these agents do, in fact, cause interruption and even degeneration of neuronal development, with clinically significant cognitive and behavioural changes neonatal. Does this data apply to the human model?