[HTML][HTML] Sleep and anesthesia interactions: a pharmacological appraisal

MT Scharf, MB Kelz - Current anesthesiology reports, 2013 - Springer
MT Scharf, MB Kelz
Current anesthesiology reports, 2013Springer
Anesthetics have been used in clinical practice for over 100 years, yet their mechanisms of
action remain poorly understood. One tempting hypothesis to explain their hypnotic
properties posits that anesthetics exert a component of their effects by “hijacking” the
endogenous arousal circuitry of the brain. Modulation of activity within sleep-and wake-
related neuroanatomic systems could thus explain some of the varied effects produced by
anesthetics. There has been a recent explosion of research into the neuroanatomic …
Abstract
Anesthetics have been used in clinical practice for over 100 years, yet their mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. One tempting hypothesis to explain their hypnotic properties posits that anesthetics exert a component of their effects by “hijacking” the endogenous arousal circuitry of the brain. Modulation of activity within sleep- and wake-related neuroanatomic systems could thus explain some of the varied effects produced by anesthetics. There has been a recent explosion of research into the neuroanatomic substrates affected by various anesthetics. In this review, we will highlight the relevant sleep architecture and systems and focus on studies over the past few years that implicate these sleep-related structures as targets of anesthetics. These studies highlight a promising area of investigation regarding the mechanisms of action of anesthetics and provide an important model for future study.
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