PANDA (Pediatric Anesthesia & NeuroDevelopment Assessment) Study
Condition: Cognition - Other
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of anesthetic agents in infants and
      children have long term adverse effects on neurocognitive development. According to the
      National Hospital Discharge Survey, around 2.5 million children have surgical procedures
      requiring anesthesia each year in the US. Recent animal studies have suggested that the
      exposure of the immature organism to a variety of commonly used anesthetic agents may lead to
      neurobehavioral functional deficits in vivo and to neuronal apoptosis in vitro. While the
      relevance of these findings on children exposed to anesthetics remains to be determined, it
      is clearly critically important to public health that this issue is resolved quickly and
      clearly.

      Hypothesis: Exposure to anesthetic agents within the first three years of life will not
      significantly impair cognitive functions at ages 8 yr, 0 mo to 15 yr, 0 mo.
    

Detailed description: 
      The purpose of our study is to compare neurocognitive functions in sibling pairs: one of whom
      had exposure to anesthesia during surgery before 36 months of age (exposed sibling cohorts)
      and who would be from ages 8yr, 0 mo to15 yr, 0 mo at the time of the study; and the other
      who never had anesthesia or surgery less than 36 months of age, is from ages 8yr, 0mo to 15
      yr, 0 mo at the time of the study, and is within 36 months of age range from the exposed
      sibling(unexposed sibling cohort).

      Neuropsychological assessments are administered to the sibling cohorts prospectively and
      parents of the siblings will complete parental interviews/questionnaires. We assess
      individually neurocognitive, behavioral and emotional function for both exposed and unexposed
      siblings. Family function will also be evaluated. We will also obtain complete medical
      history for each participant, including significant perinatal events and social history. We
      also review medical records when appropriate.

      All testing are performed during a one day site visit.
    

Intervention name(s): Inguinal hernia surgery; General anesthesia
Intervention type(s): Procedure; Procedure
Intervention description(s): Non-experimental procedure; Non-experimental procedure/treatment
Intervention MeSH terms: Anesthetics
Observational model: Other
Time perspective: Other
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        The study will be a multi-center study based at Columbia University with the following
        participating centers: Boston Children's (Harvard University), Children's Hospital of
        Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania), Monroe Carell Children's Hospital (Vanderbilt
        University), and Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York (Columbia University).
        Children exposed to anesthesia prior to 36 months must be ages 8 yr, 0 mo to 15 yr, 0 mo
        and have a sibling with no history of surgery or anesthesia prior to 36 months of age.
      
Keywords: Anesthesia; New York; Columbia; Children; Neurodevelopment; Child development; Pediatric