The effects of anesthetic agents on cerebral physiology

Anesthetic agents	CMRO₂	CBF	ICP	Cerebral autoregulation
Nitrous oxide	↑↑	↑↑↑	↑↑	No change
Sevoflurane	↓	↑↑	↑	No change
Isoflurane	↓↓	↑	↑	No change
Desflurane	↓	↑↑↑	↑↑	No change
Propofol, thiopental, and etomidate	↓↓↓	↓↓↓	↓↓	No change
Benzodiazepines	↓	↓↓	↓	No change
Ketamine	↑↑	Unknown	Unknown	No change
Dexmedetomidine	↓↓	↓	No change	↓
Opioids	↑	↓↓	↓	No change

For further details, refer to the UpToDate topic on anesthesia for craniotomy.

CMRO₂: cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen; CBF: cerebral blood flow; ICP: intracranial pressure.

Graphic 105673 Version 3.0