Early Developmental Exposure to Volatile Anesthetics Causes Behavioral Defects in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract excerpt

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence from animal studies shows that anesthetic exposure in early life leads to apoptosis in the developing nervous system. This loss of neurons has functional consequences in adulthood. Clinical retrospective reviews have suggested that multiple anesthetic exposures in early childhood are associated with learning disabilities later in life as well. Despite much concern about this...