Object memory in young and aged mice after sevoflurane anaesthesia

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 20; no. 16; p. 1419
• Main Authors: Wiklund, Andreas, Granon, Sylvie, Faure, Philippe, Sundman, Eva, Changeux, Jean-Pierre, Eriksson, Lars I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 28.10.2009
• Subjects: Aging; Anesthetics, Inhalation - pharmacology; Animals; Discrimination Learning - drug effects; Exploratory Behavior - drug effects; Female; Male; Memory - drug effects; Methyl Ethers - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Random Allocation; Receptors, Nicotinic - deficiency; Time Factors
• ISSN: 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e328330cd2b

Learning and memory are cognitive functions commonly impaired after surgery, especially in elderly patients. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of sevoflurane anaesthesia on episodic-like memory in young and aged wild-type mice and mice with altered nicotinic cholinergic neurotransmission (beta2KO). Mice learned objects before randomization to control, anaesthesia or sham groups. Anaesthesia was maintained at 2.6% sevoflurane for 2 h, starting immediately after training. Object memory testing was performed after 24 h, when one familiar object was replaced by a nonfamiliar object. While nonanaesthetized mice showed memory retention of the familiar object, anaesthetized wild-type and beta2KO mice showed impaired memory. Sevoflurane anaesthesia thus causes memory impairment in mice regardless of beta2 receptor-mediated nicotinic cholinergic neurotransmission.