Developmental Stage-dependent Persistent Impact of Propofol Anesthesia on Dendritic Spines in the Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Abstract

These new results demonstrate that propofol anesthesia can rapidly induce significant changes in dendritic spine density and that these effects are developmental stage-dependent, persist into adulthood, and are accompanied by alterations in synapse number. These data suggest that anesthesia in the early postnatal period might permanently impair circuit assembly in the developing brain.