AUTHOR=Papon Marie-Amélie , Whittington Robert A., El Khoury Noura , Planel Emmanuel 

TITLE=Alzheimer's Disease and Anesthesia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=4

YEAR=2011

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2010.00272

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2010.00272

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<p>Cognitive disorders such as postoperative cognitive dysfunction, confusion, and delirium, are common following anesthesia in the elderly, with symptoms persisting for months or years in some patients. Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients appear to be particularly at risk of cognitive deterioration following anesthesia, and some studies suggest that exposure to anesthetics may increase the risk of AD. Here, we review the literature linking anesthesia to AD, with a focus on the biochemical consequences of anesthetic exposure on AD pathogenic pathways.</p>