Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33980934›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2021

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) rescues cognitive decline, neuroinflammation and cytoskeletal alterations in a model of post-operative cognitive decline (POCD) in middle-aged rats.

B Garrone, L Durando, J Prenderville, E Sokolowska, C Milanese, F P Di Giorgio, C Callaghan, M Bianchi

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The Effects of Cannabinoids on Ischemic Stroke-Associated Neuroinflammation: A Systematic Review.Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction-current research progress.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2024
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

B GarroneAngelini Pharma S.p.A., Viale Amelia, 70, 00181, Rome, Italy.
L DurandoAngelini Pharma S.p.A., Viale Amelia, 70, 00181, Rome, Italy.
J PrendervilleTranspharmation Ireland Ltd., Trinity College Dublin-Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Lloyd Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
E SokolowskaTranspharmation Ireland Ltd., Trinity College Dublin-Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Lloyd Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
C MilaneseAngelini Pharma S.p.A., Viale Amelia, 70, 00181, Rome, Italy.
F P Di GiorgioAngelini Pharma S.p.A., Viale Amelia, 70, 00181, Rome, Italy.
C CallaghanUlysses Neuroscience Ltd, Room 3.57B, Trinity College Dublin-Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Lloyd Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
M BianchiUlysses Neuroscience Ltd, Room 3.57B, Trinity College Dublin-Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Lloyd Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. max.bianchi@ulysses-neuro.com.
Angelini Pharma (Italy) · ITTrinity College Dublin · IETranspharmation (Ireland) · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a debilitating clinical phenomenon in elderly patients. Management of pain in elderly is complicated because analgesic opiates elicit major side effects. In contrast, paracetamol (acetaminophen) has shown analgesic efficacy, no impact on cognition, and its side effects are well tolerated. We investigated the efficacy of paracetamol, compared to the opioid analgesic buprenorphine, in a model of POCD by investigating cognitive decline, allodynia, peripheral and hippocampal cytokines levels, and hippocampal microtubule dynamics as a key modulator of synaptic plasticity. A POCD model was developed in middle-aged (MA) rats by inducing a tibia fracture via orthopaedic surgery. Control MA rats did not undergo any surgery and only received isoflurane anaesthesia. We demonstrated that cognitive decline and increased allodynia following surgery was prevented in paracetamol-treated animals, but not in animals which were exposed to anesthesia alone or underwent the surgery and received buprenorphine. Behavioral alterations were associated with different peripheral cytokine changes between buprenorphine and paracetamol treated animals. Buprenorphine showed no central effects, while paracetamol showed modulatory effects on hippocampal cytokines and markers of microtubule dynamics which were suggestive of neuroprotection. Our data provide the first experimental evidence corroborating the use of paracetamol as first-choice analgesic in POCD.

Indexed as

AcetaminophenAge FactorsAnalgesicsAnestheticsAnimalsCognitionCognitive DysfunctionCytokinesCytoskeletonDisease ManagementDisease Models, AnimalDisease SusceptibilityHippocampusPilot ProjectsPostoperative Cognitive ComplicationsRatsAcetaminophenAnalgesicsAnestheticsCytokines

Identifiers

PMID33980934
PMCPMC8115335
OpenAlexW3160717904

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.