Propofol and Nasal Insulin Restore Memory in the Elderly After Surgery and Helps Aging Brains
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 06, 2026 1 day, 20 hours, 41 minutes ago
Medical News: Medications may help aging brains recover faster
Aging brains often struggle after surgery. Many older adults experience confusion memory loss or difficulty concentrating following even routine operations. While most recover within weeks, a significant number continue to face problems months later affecting independence and quality of life. New research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers encouraging evidence that two existing medications may help protect and even restore memory in the elderly.
This
Medical News report highlights two carefully designed animal studies that looked at post-surgery memory problems and age-related cognitive decline. Together the findings suggest that the aging brain may be more adaptable than previously believed when given the right support.
Simple medications show powerful potential to protect and revive aging brains after surgery
All studies were carried out by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. The work was led by Professor Uwe Rudolph with key contributions from postdoctoral researcher Rajasekar Nagarajan.
Understanding memory problems after surgery
Doctors have long known that surgery and anesthesia can temporarily affect thinking, especially in people over 60. Studies show that about 10 percent of elderly patients still have learning and memory issues three months after surgery. When multiplied by the millions of surgeries performed every year this becomes a major public health concern.
One challenge in studying this problem is separating the effects of anesthesia from the stress of surgery itself. To overcome this the Illinois team performed actual surgical procedures on aged mice rather than simply exposing them to anesthesia alone.
Propofol shows surprising brain benefits
Propofol is a commonly used anesthetic worldwide. While high doses can be harmful, the researchers tested carefully timed low intermittent doses given before and after surgery. The results were striking.
Older mice that received propofol performed much better on a wide range of memory and learning tests. These improvements lasted for days even though the drug itself leaves the body within hours.
When the scientists examined the brain tissue, they found lasting changes in the hippocampus the region responsible for learning and memory. Propofol increased the number of certain GABA receptors on nerve cells. These receptors help calm brain activity and support memory formation. At the same time markers of brain inflammation and cell death were reduced.
This means propofol did not just mask symptoms. It appeared to change how the aging brain responded to surgical stress at a biological level.
Nasal insulin tackles age related memory loss
In a separate study the team focused on memory decline caused by aging itself. They used a special mouse model known as pseudo aged mic
e which mimics key features of hippocampal aging seen in humans.
These mice received insulin through a nasal spray once daily for nine days. This method allows insulin to reach the brain directly without affecting blood sugar levels.
The results showed clear improvements in working memory recognition memory and associative memory. Importantly healthy control mice did not show changes meaning the treatment acted only where there was impairment.
At the molecular level nasal insulin reduced brain inflammation restored important growth factors like BDNF and calmed overactive immune cells in the brain. This suggests insulin helps the brain environment become more supportive of memory and learning.
Why these findings matter
Both studies point to a shared mechanism involving reduced brain inflammation and improved nerve signaling. The researchers also believe that similar brain receptors may be involved in both treatments opening the door to future combined or targeted therapies.
Because both propofol and intranasal insulin are already known to medicine these findings could speed up the path toward human trials.
Study conclusions
The combined findings strongly suggest that age-related and surgery-related memory problems are not permanent or unavoidable. By targeting inflammation, nerve receptors and brain support systems it may be possible to help older brains recover more fully after surgery and even reverse certain aspects of memory decline. These results provide hope that safe non-invasive or already approved treatments could one day reduce long term cognitive problems in elderly patients and improve recovery outcomes worldwide.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Pharmacology Research & Perspectives and PNAS Nexus.
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/prp2.70186
https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/7/pgaf213/8193929
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Medical News.
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