Mayo Clinic Study Reveals Immune Cells’ Unexpected Role in Anesthesia Recovery

New research conducted by the Mayo Clinic, which was published in Nature Neuroscience, found that the cells serving as the central nervous system’s primary defense mechanism also contribute to the brain’s recovery from anesthesia. This finding opens up new possibilities for developing techniques to tackle complications following anesthesia.

When coming out of anesthesia, more than one-third of patients can experience either extreme drowsiness or hyperactivity, a side effect called delirium. Mayo researchers found that special immune cells in the brain called microglia can act to shield neurons from the aftereffects of anesthesia to awaken the brain.