Low-Dose anesthesia may change how pain impacts memory
NCT ID NCT06044740
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at how a low dose of the anesthetic sevoflurane affects memory and brain responses to pain. Forty-two healthy adults inhaled sevoflurane or no drug while receiving mild electric shocks and performing memory tasks. Brain scans (fMRI) measured activity changes. The goal was to understand how anesthesia and pain together influence memory formation.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Sevoflurane (an inhaled anesthetic gas)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help researchers understand how anesthesia and pain interact to affect memory, potentially improving pain management during procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study in healthy volunteers, not patients. It uses low drug doses and artificial pain, so findings may not apply to real-world surgery or chronic pain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
-
42 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jan 2024
- Finished
-
Jan 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 59 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults, age 18-59, who are native English speakers with at least a high school education * have normal hearing and memory * be of normal body-weight * be generally healthy (free from significant chronic disease) * have none of the specific exclusion criteria * have a valid email address and valid phone number throughout the study * anticipate ability to participate in all visits required for the phase of the study in which they are enrolled Exclusion Criteria: * being pregnant or attempting to conceive * having a body mass index (BMI) \> 35 * having significant memory impairment or hearing loss * having sleep apnea * having chronic pain or frequently taking pain medication (including tramadol) * having any severe or poorly-controlled medical problem (hypertension, diabetes) * having neurologic or psychiatric disease, including anxiety, and depression * having significant cardiac valvular disease or cardiomyopathy * having a history of abnormal heartbeats (cardiac conduction abnormality or arrhythmia) * having a history of seizures or convulsions * having a history of liver disease * having a history of asthma or other significant pulmonary disease * having a history of malignant hyperthermia, muscular dystrophy, central core disease, or hyperkalemia * being claustrophobic * have metal implants or non-removable metal piercings * having a history of adverse reaction to anesthetics * daily alcohol or heavy alcohol use; history of alcohol abuse * current daily smoker * regular or recent marijuana use (including prescribed/medical marijuana) * illicit drug use * regularly taking: antiepileptics, antidepressants, anti-psychotics, antihistamines, anti-anxiety medication, stimulants, or sleep-aids * current use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), or monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and some other specific drugs phenytoin, carbamazepine, and rifampin * history of QT prolongation * hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to ondansetron (Zofran)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
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