Spatial Memory DisorderNCT05991817
Sevoflurane General Anesthetic and Spatial Memory in Humans
An observational study of Spatial Memory Disorder, run by University of Chile at 2 sites in Chile.
Trial summary
The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effect of general anesthetic on spatial memory in adults who will undergo to an elective surgery. The main question it aims to answer is: A surgical event under general anesthesia with sevoflurane transiently impairs spatial memory in humans and induces an… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 30 to 50 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Spatial Memory Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Surgery/general anesthesia
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- How many people
- 22 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesChile
- Study dates
- 14 Aug 2023to 30 Dec 2025
- How long will I take part?
- 30 Days
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 30 to 50 years
- All sexes
- Adult
Study population: Adult patients bewteen 30 and 50 years old who will undergo to an elective laparoscopic surgery of cholecystectomy.
Who may be able to join
- Candidate for elective laparoscopic surgery of cholecystectomy.
- Age 30 to 50 years.
Who cannot join
- Visual or hearing difficulties.
- Malignant hyperthermia.
- Being treated with centrally acting drugs, such as anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, anticholinergics, and first-generation antihistamines.
- Present a disorder of the sphere of neuropsychiatry
- Substance abuse disorder.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Chile2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Centro de Investigación Cínica Avanzada (CICA), Hospital Clinico de la Universidad de Chile
Santiago, RM, 7690306
Daniela Ponce, Ing, 56229789405, dponcedelavega@gmail.com
- Recruiting
Hospital Clinico de la Universidad de Chile
Santiago, RM, 7690306
About this study
Official title: Study of the Effect of Sevoflurane General Anesthetic on Spatial Memory in Humans
The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effect of general anesthetic on spatial memory in adults who will undergo to an elective surgery. The main question it aims to answer is:
- A surgical event under general anesthesia with sevoflurane transiently impairs spatial memory in humans and induces an increase in inflammatory cytokines.
Participants will perform a virtual maze test and plasma samples will be taken before and after surgery.
Read the detailed description
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) occurs after a surgical event under general anesthesia and is characterized by a decline in one or more cognitive functions. POCD is defined as delayed neurocognitive recovery if it takes place within the first 30 days, if it exceeds that time it is known as postoperative neurocognitive disorder. The pathogenesis of this dysfunction is not entirely clear. However, the most accepted hypothesis would be neuroinflammatory, which would take place due to the contribution of inflammatory factors typical of surgical trauma under general anesthesia, with anesthetics such as sevoflurane. Consequently, one of the areas most susceptible to this inflammatory environment would be the hippocampus, a structure responsible for learning and memory. Spatial memory is responsible for encoding and retrieving information about the environment and spatial orientation. To confirm this hypothesis, an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with sevoflurane, plasma measurement of cytokines interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and virtual navigation tests will be performed before and after an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with sevoflurane, in order to establish a correlation between the inflammatory component and performance in the virtual navigation test. The above will allow us to elucidate the possible occurrence of a delayed neurocognitive recovery related to spatial memory in middle-aged individuals, providing new background related to an age group that has been little studied, with a non-minor incidence (30%), where the evident concern arises for being a population exposed to activities or environments of greater risk, linked to work, sport, driving, among others. This finding will guide the doctor and the patient to decide or take the necessary safeguards when proceeding with a surgical intervention in the middle-aged population.
- Conditions
- Spatial Memory Disorder
- Being tested
- Surgery/general anesthesia
- Medical subject headings
- Memory Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Surgery/general anesthesiaProcedure or surgery
Adult patients between the ages of 30 and 50 who are to undergo elective surgery under general anesthesia will have their spatial memory tested and interleukin 1beta and alpha tumor necrosis measured before and after surgery.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 30-50 years | Not described Receives: Procedure: Surgery/general anesthesia |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Virtual spatial memory
Time to reach the goal
Measured: 1th day after surgery
Secondary outcomes (8)
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-1beta plasma concentration
Measured: 1st day after surgery
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-1beta plasma concentration
Measured: 7th day after surgery
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-1beta plasma concentration
Measured: 30th day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Tumor necrosis factor alpha plasma concentration
Measured: 1st day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Tumor necrosis factor alpha plasma concentration
Measured: 7th day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Tumor necrosis factor alpha plasma concentration
Measured: 30th day after surgery
Virtual spatial memory
Time to reach the goal
Measured: 7st day after surgery
Virtual spatial memory
Time to reach the goal
Measured: 30th day after surgery
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Aug 2023
- Study start14 Aug 2023
- Primary completion30 Nov 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Dec 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Spatial Memory DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (estimated)
- Target duration
- 30 Days
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Chile
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Khaleed Etchegaray, Principal investigator, University of ChileJamileth More, PhD, Study director, University of ChileAntonello Penna, MD, PhD, Study director, University of Chile
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05991817
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- OAIC: 1328/23
- Status last verified
- Oct 2025
- First submitted
- 7 Aug 2023
- Last updated
- 20 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Study of the Effect of Sevoflurane General Anesthetic on Spatial Memory in Humans
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05991817
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- OAIC: 1328/23
- Conditions
- Spatial Memory Disorder
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ChileUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 14 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Nov 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 15 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effect of general anesthetic on spatial memory in adults who will undergo to an elective surgery. The main question it aims to answer is:
- A surgical event under general anesthesia with sevoflurane transiently impairs spatial memory in humans and induces an increase in inflammatory cytokines.
Participants will perform a virtual maze test and plasma samples will be taken before and after surgery.
Detailed description
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) occurs after a surgical event under general anesthesia and is characterized by a decline in one or more cognitive functions. POCD is defined as delayed neurocognitive recovery if it takes place within the first 30 days, if it exceeds that time it is known as postoperative neurocognitive disorder. The pathogenesis of this dysfunction is not entirely clear. However, the most accepted hypothesis would be neuroinflammatory, which would take place due to the contribution of inflammatory factors typical of surgical trauma under general anesthesia, with anesthetics such as sevoflurane. Consequently, one of the areas most susceptible to this inflammatory environment would be the hippocampus, a structure responsible for learning and memory. Spatial memory is responsible for encoding and retrieving information about the environment and spatial orientation. To confirm this hypothesis, an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with sevoflurane, plasma measurement of cytokines interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and virtual navigation tests will be performed before and after an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with sevoflurane, in order to establish a correlation between the inflammatory component and performance in the virtual navigation test. The above will allow us to elucidate the possible occurrence of a delayed neurocognitive recovery related to spatial memory in middle-aged individuals, providing new background related to an age group that has been little studied, with a non-minor incidence (30%), where the evident concern arises for being a population exposed to activities or environments of greater risk, linked to work, sport, driving, among others. This finding will guide the doctor and the patient to decide or take the necessary safeguards when proceeding with a surgical intervention in the middle-aged population.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Target follow-up
- 30 Days
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 30-50 years | – | Procedure: Surgery/general anesthesia |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 30 to 50 years
- Sex
- All
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Adult patients bewteen 30 and 50 years old who will undergo to an elective laparoscopic surgery of cholecystectomy.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Candidate for elective laparoscopic surgery of cholecystectomy.
- Age 30 to 50 years.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Visual or hearing difficulties.
- Malignant hyperthermia.
- Being treated with centrally acting drugs, such as anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, anticholinergics, and first-generation antihistamines.
- Present a disorder of the sphere of neuropsychiatry
- Substance abuse disorder.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Surgery/general anesthesiaAdult patients between the ages of 30 and 50 who are to undergo elective surgery under general anesthesia will have their spatial memory tested and interleukin 1beta and alpha tumor necrosis measured before and after surgery. | Procedure or surgery | Adults 30-50 years |
Primary outcome
Virtual spatial memory
Time frame: 1th day after surgery
Time to reach the goal
8 secondary outcomes
Interleukin-1beta
Time frame: 1st day after surgery
Interleukin-1beta
Time frame: 7th day after surgery
Interleukin-1beta
Time frame: 30th day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Time frame: 1st day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Time frame: 7th day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Time frame: 30th day after surgery
Virtual spatial memory
Time frame: 7st day after surgery
Virtual spatial memory
Time frame: 30th day after surgery
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Nov 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Khaleed Etchegaray principal investigator
University of Chile
Jamileth More, PhD study director
University of Chile
Antonello Penna, MD, PhD study director
University of Chile
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Spatial Memory Disorder, run by University of Chile at 2 sites in Chile.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Chile. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Antonello Penna, MD, PhD (+56956766623, apenna@uchile.cl), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Virtual spatial memory (time frame: 1th day after surgery). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Nov 2025.