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Stress‐related biomarkers of dream recall and implicit memory under anaesthesia
Author(s) -
Aceto P.,
Lai C.,
Perilli V.,
Dello Russo C.,
Federico B.,
Navarra P.,
Proietti R.,
Sollazzi L.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/anae.12386
Subject(s) - medicine , recall , general anaesthesia , anesthesia , amnesia , dream , prolactin , psychology , hormone , cognitive psychology , psychiatry , neuroscience
Summary The aim of this study was to investigate whether auditory presentation of a story during general anaesthesia might influence stress hormone changes and thus affecting dream recall and/or implicit memory. One hundred and ten patients were randomly assigned either to hear a recording of a story through headphones or to have routine care with no auditory recording while undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Anaesthesia was standardised. Blood samples for cortisol and prolactin assays were collected 20 min before anaesthesia and 5 min after pneumoperitoneum. Dream recall and explicit/implicit memory were investigated upon awakening from anaesthesia and approximately 24 h after the end of the operation. Auditory presentation was associated with lower intra‐operative serum prolactin concentration compared with control (p = 0.0006). Twenty‐seven patients with recall of dreaming showed higher intra‐operative prolactin (p = 0.004) and lower cortisol (p = 0.03) concentrations compared with those without dream recall. The knowledge of this interaction might be useful in the quest to ensure postoperative amnesia.