How does general anaesthesia affect the circadian clock?

Post-operative patients experience sleep disturbances. Animal studies demonstrate that general anaesthesia (GA) can disrupt circadian rhythms and cause changes in the molecular clock, indicating that anaesthesia contributes to post-operative circadian disruption. Here we review the effect of anaesthesia on the circadian clock and its rhythms in order to summarise current findings outline commonalities between studies and propose mechanisms by which effects may be mediated.Key points: (1) GA has strong effects on the main neurotransmitter systems linked with circadian control (GABA/NMDA) and may act by interfering with light-entrainment of the clock.

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