Based on experiments with rats, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel report that a tiny injection of pentobarbitol in a small area of the brainstem can create the same effect as general anesthesia, while micro-shots in other parts of the brain do not elicit general anesthesia.
As a result, a small amount of highly targeted anesthesia may be just as effective for inducing general anesthesia as a large dose spread throughout the brain, according to the group, which published its findings in the May issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
The report suggests that the brain may have different circuitry than previously believed, especially in the mesopontine tegmental anesthesia area, where the injections were targeted. The area could be part of a pathway "to certain interesting parts of the brain, and down to the spinal cord -- to possibly turn off pain, and turn off the motor system," said co-author Marshall Devor, PhD, chairman of the department of cell and animal biology at Hebrew University.
The results hint that the current practice of throwing a wet blanket of drugs over the fire of consciousness may not be the most effective way to anesthetize patients, said Dr. Devor. One day, scientists may be able to create drugs that control pain throughout the body without causing a loss of consciousness.
Kent Steinriede
