Anaesthesia 2014-02-01

The effects of general anaesthesia on memory in children: a comparison between propofol and sevoflurane.

J Yin, S-L Wang, X-B Liu

Index: Anaesthesia 69(2) , 118-23, (2014)

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Abstract

We studied the effects of general anaesthesia on memory 7 days and 3 months following elective hernia surgery. Sixty children aged between 7 and 13 years were randomly allocated to receive either propofol or sevoflurane. Memory was classified into immediate, short-term and long-term memory and assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Propofol impaired short-term memory 7 days postoperatively compared with pre-operative values (image recalling: p = 0.02, figure recognition: p = 0.01, visual reproduction: p = 0.03) but recovered to baseline levels 3 months following surgery. Neither general anaesthetic affected immediate or long-term memory. We conclude that propofol impairs short-term memory postoperatively in children.© 2013 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.