Author: Kreuzer M, et al.
Anesthesia & Analgesia, August 29, 2025. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000007717
This experimental study investigated the effects of isoflurane anesthesia on sleep and recovery patterns in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease (TgF344-AD). The researchers used EEG and EMG recordings in 8 transgenic rats and 7 age-matched controls to monitor WAKE, NREM, and REM states before and after a one-hour isoflurane exposure.
Alzheimer-model rats took significantly longer to ambulate after anesthesia compared with controls (1256 seconds vs. 799 seconds, P = .038). During the 5-hour recovery window, no major differences were noted in vigilance states. However, in the subsequent active phase, control rats displayed increased sleep, while Alzheimer-model rats showed heightened wakefulness, fragmented sleep patterns, and relative hyperactivity.
Key Takeaways
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Isoflurane delayed ambulation in Alzheimer-model rats compared with controls.
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No immediate differences in WAKE, NREM, or REM proportions were observed.
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Alzheimer-model rats experienced fragmented sleep and relative hyperactivity post-anesthesia.
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Findings suggest Alzheimer pathology reduces resilience to anesthetic-induced brain state changes.
Thank you to Anesthesia & Analgesia for publishing this important research on anesthesia, sleep, and Alzheimer’s disease.