Predicting postoperative brain function from the blood: is there a role for biomarkers?

Loss of consciousness upon exposure to general anaesthetics reflects the powerful influence of these drugs on brain physiology. While this phenomenon is usually transient and rapidly resolves upon discontinuation of drug administration, an overwhelming number of both clinical and experimental observations suggest that even relatively short periods of anaesthesia can trigger a myriad of biochemical pathways which, in turn, can give rise to temporary or even lasting changes in neurobehavioural and cognitive function after emergence from anaesthesia.¹ Most of these functional alterations have been described as postoperative delirium or impaired cognitive performance and, therefore, have negative connotations. It is nevertheless important to note that exposure to anaesthetics can also improve both cognition and mood in some specific clinical states, such as in major depressive disorders. This context-dependent impact of anaesthetics on neuronal function probably reflects the major context-dependent modulatory influence of these drugs on neuronal plasticity.¹

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