Anesthetics and sedatives: toxic or protective for the developing brain?

Despite our insufficient understanding of the exact molecular mechanisms of general anesthetics and sedatives, every year millions of children are treated with these drugs in a seemingly safe manner. However, increasing evidence particularly from animal studies has suggested the possibility for deleterious effects in pediatric patients. All currently clinically utilized anesthetic drugs have been found to induce neuronal cell death in the developing brain and to potentially cause long-term neurological impairment. Conversely, painful stimuli without analgesia and anesthesia have also been shown to initiate a harmful stress response in young children and to trigger neurotoxic effects in the developing brain, which can be blunted by anesthetics. Moreover, anesthetic drugs may also confer neurological protection during hypoxic and ischemic insults. The mechanisms and human applicability of anesthetic neurotoxicity and neuroprotection remain under intense investigation and this Perspectives article summarizes the current state of research.