Effect of some anesthetics on memory and exploration.

A light ether anesthesia in laboratory mice resulted in the complete drop of their memory retrieval to zero for more than three days after the administration. On the contrary, mice that underwent the exploration test after the light ether anesthesia performed as expected, confirming that impairment of memory does not necessarily reflect on exploratory performance. The effect of some anesthetic drugs was then studied on memory retrieval and exploratory behavior. Within this general framework, the anesthetics here studied all worsen memory retrieval, however without inducing clear and long-lasting amnesic effect comparable to that exerted by ether anesthesia. Contrarily, the classically amnesic drug scopolamine, orally administered, enhances memory retrieval and improves exploration.