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LSSF Symposium Research

 I presented my first research project, The Relationship Between Anesthesia Exposure and Dementia Risk in Aging Populations, at the Life Science South Florida Symposium. My goal was to understand how different anesthetic drugs, including isoflurane, sevoflurane, and propofol, might affect long-term brain health in older adults. As dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease, continues to rise with an aging population, it has become increasingly important to explore whether anesthetic exposure could play a role in memory loss or cognitive decline after surgery. Working alongside Dr. Robert Speth, I reviewed published studies that compared the effects of inhaled and intravenous anesthetics on the brain to identify patterns between the type of anesthesia used and potential changes in cognition.

The results suggested that inhaled anesthetics such as isoflurane and sevoflurane may place more stress on the brain compared to intravenous agents like propofol. Isoflurane showed the strongest association, with research indicating it might increase amyloid buildup and interfere with normal brain signaling. Sevoflurane had a moderate impact on memory-related brain cells, while propofol appeared to have the lowest long-term effect on cognition. Overall, the findings showed that the risk of dementia is influenced by many factors beyond anesthesia itself, including age, overall health, and the stress of surgery.

Poster:

Abstract and References: 







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