Elucidation of the mechanism of action of anesthetics in motor neuron in the spinal cord.

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16441
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55050:Anesthesiology-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Deguchi Hiroyuki 新潟大学, 医歯学総合病院, 専任助教 (30804562)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 運動誘発電位 / 誘発筋電図 / 脊髄前角細胞 / プロポフォール

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Motor-evoked potential are one of the useful intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring to avoid permanent postoperative motor impairment. However, since motor-evoked potential is strongly affected by anesthetic agents, elucidation of their mechanism of action is important to improve the quality of monitoring interpretation. Propofol, which is considered to have relatively little effect and is frequently used, also suppresses the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials in a dose-dependent manner. However, its detailed mechanism of action is still unknown. In the present study, the mechanism of the suppression of motor-evoked potential amplitude by propofol was elucidated by simultaneously evaluating evoked EMG amplitude and motor-evoked potential amplitude, which are indices of motor neurons in the spinal cord excitability, in human subjects.

Free Research Field

麻酔科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在、全身麻酔下の手術中の神経生理学的モニタリングとして運動誘発電位が頻用されている。術後の永続的な神経障害を回避するために重要なモニタであるが、麻酔薬の影響を強く受ける。麻酔薬の種類や用量などによって容易に振幅が抑制され、偽陽性やモニタ失敗の原因となりうる。そのため、麻酔薬の運動誘発電位振幅への影響に関して、その機序を解明することで、モニタリングの質の向上に繋がる。本研究結果は、運動誘発電位測定の際に頻用されるプロポフォールの作用の一端を明らかにした。