Some Sedatives Tied to Better Long-Term Neurocognitive Function in Critically Ill Children

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By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on June 1, 2026.

via HealthDay

MONDAY, June 1, 2026 -- Most children who survive a critical illness requiring sedation have IQ scores within the normal range five years later, according to a study published online May 19 in JAMA Network Open.

Martha A.Q. Curley, R.N., Ph.D., from University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined whether sedative choice during critical illness in early childhood is associated with long-term neurocognitive function. Analysis included 243 children receiving neurocognitive testing approximately five years after receiving intensive care sedation for acute respiratory failure.

The researchers found that children were exposed to a median of eight days (range: five to 14 days) of continuous sedation at a median age of 1.0 year. Most children (93.8 percent) had age-appropriate global assessment of cognitive function (Pediatric Cognitive Performance Category = 1), with a mean estimated IQ of 100.3, similar to the published test mean (100). At long-term follow-up, mean estimated IQ was lowest in patients receiving an opioid- and benzodiazepine-only strategy (98.3), higher in patients receiving multiple sedative classes not including dexmedetomidine (100.6), and highest in patients receiving multiple sedative classes, including dexmedetomidine (101.9). The adjusted mean difference in estimated IQ between the opioid- and benzodiazepine-only versus dexmedetomidine groups was −4.1 when adjusting for socioeconomic status, severity of illness on intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and duration of mechanical ventilation.

"Our study shows that the choice we make in the pediatric ICU can affect a child's brain development years later," Curley said in a statement. "Specifically, adding dexmedetomidine to our treatment plan may help protect a child's long-term thinking and learning skills better than using opioids and benzodiazepines alone."

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Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-06-02 00:30

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