Subanesthetic concentrations of desflurane and isoflurane suppress explicit and implicit learning.

The capacity of desflurane to suppress learning is unknown. We investigated whether a subanesthetic concentration of desflurane (0.6 minimum alevolar anesthetic concentration [MAC]) suppressed learning as much as the same concentration of isoflurane, and whether such suppression differed with increasing duration of anesthesia and intervening changes in anesthetic concentration. Using a cross-over-design study in 18-30 yr-old human volunteers, we supplied answers to Trivial Pursuit (Selchow & Righter Co., Bay Shore, NY)-like questions at 0.6 MAC desflurane and isoflurane before and after imposing a half-hour period at 1.7 MAC of each anesthetic, and behavioral directions and a category-example task at 0.6 MAC after the period at 1.7 MAC. These volunteers had a third anesthesia in which no information was supplied (control). After anesthesia, we tested whether the provision of answers during anesthesia increased the number of correct answers to Trivial Pursuit questions. We tested for the number of correct answers for information presented before versus after the 1.7-MAC period, for increased evocation of examples of categories presented during anesthesia, and for exhibition of a behavior suggested during anesthesia. We found that 0.6 MAC of both anesthetics prevented explicit and implicit learning before and after the period at 1.7 MAC.