Open AccessEffect of Dexmedetomidine on Brain Edema and Neurological Outcomes in Surgical Brain Injury in Rats
Author(s) -
Michael Benggon,
Han Chen,
Richard L. Applegate,
Robert Martin,
Junyi Zhang
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1213/ane.0b013e31824e2b86
Subject(s) - dexmedetomidine , medicine , anesthesia , agonist , edema , intracranial pressure , blood pressure , stroke (engine) , sham surgery , traumatic brain injury , receptor , pathology , sedation , mechanical engineering , alternative medicine , psychiatry , engineering
Surgical brain injury (SBI) is damage to functional brain tissue resulting from neurosurgical manipulations such as sharp dissection, electrocautery, retraction, and direct applied pressure. Brain edema is the major contributor to morbidity with inflammation, necrosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis likely playing smaller roles. Effective therapies for SBI may improve neurological outcomes and postoperative morbidities associated with brain surgery. Previous studies show an adrenergic correlation to blood-brain barrier control. The α-2 receptor agonist dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been shown to improve neurological outcomes in stroke models. We hypothesized that DEX may reduce brain edema and improve neurological outcomes in a rat model of SBI.