The Effects of General Anesthetics on Upper Airway Collapsibility in Healthy Subjects

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2014-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The investigators hypothesize that propofol, when compared to sevoflurane, causes the upper airway to collapse more easily and causes less activity in the tongue muscle. Additionally, the investigators hypothesize that, under increased carbon dioxide concentrations of the air inhaled, the upper airway will be less likely to collapse under anesthesia and there will be increased activity in the tongue muscle under both propofol and sevoflurane, when compared to breathing normal concentrations of carbon dioxide, as in room air. Furthermore the investigators hypothesize that anesthesia disrupt the breathing swallow coordination, an effect additionally altered by increased carbon dioxide through increased respiratory drive.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Treatments: Anesthetics; Propofol; Sevoflurane

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I

• Age between 18 and 45

• BMI 18-28 kg/m^2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Concurrent significant medical illness (heart disease including untreated hypertension, Clinically significant kidney disease, liver disease, or lung disease, History of myasthenia gravis or other muscle and nerve disease)

• Anxiety disorder requiring treatment

• Concurrent medications known to affect anesthesia, upper airway muscles or respiratory function (e.g., gabaergic anxiolytics, antipsychotics)

• Individuals with a history of allergy or adverse reaction to lidocaine, propofol, or sevoflurane

• For women: pregnancy

• Suggestion of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or any other sleep disorder (e.g. witnessed apneas, gasping or choking during sleep, unexplained excessive daytime sleepiness)

• History of drug or alcohol abuse

• Acute intermittent porphyria