Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41165238›Full record

Trial reportAnesthesia and analgesia2026

Preoperative Pregabalin and the Cp50 for Skin Incision During Target-Controlled Propofol Infusion: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

Johannes Müller, Roxana Polojintef-Corbu, Stefan Ulbing, Alexandra Graf, Birgit Reiter, Thomas Stimpfl, Walter Plöchl

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Anesthesia and analgesia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Johannes MüllerFrom the Clinical Division of General Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine.
Roxana Polojintef-CorbuFrom the Clinical Division of General Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine.
Stefan UlbingFrom the Clinical Division of General Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine.
Alexandra GrafInstitute for Medical Statistics, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems.
Birgit ReiterDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Thomas StimpflDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Walter PlöchlFrom the Clinical Division of General Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe potency of propofol is measured by its Cp50 value, which is the plasma concentration required to suppress a motor response in 50% of patients during surgical incisions. This Cp50 value can be affected by the concurrent use of other drugs, including opioids, benzodiazepines, or lidocaine. Pregabalin, a medication commonly administered as preoperative premedication, provides mild sedative and anxiolytic effects. Although pregabalin has the potential to reduce the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane, its effects on propofol-based anesthesia have not been conclusively studied. Thus, we designed a placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the impact of pregabalin on the Cp50 of propofol.

methodsEighty female patients who underwent breast surgery participated in this study. They received either a placebo or 300 mg of pregabalin 2 hours before anesthesia induction. Propofol was administered as the sole anesthetic agent, delivered continuously via a target-controlled infusion (TCI) pump using the Schnider model, without the addition of opioids or other analgesics. Patients in both groups were administered different target effect-site propofol concentrations, and their motor responses to standardized skin incisions were determined. The Cp50 value of propofol was estimated using a logistic regression model, and the results were re-evaluated using bootstrap methods.

resultsA significant difference in propofol Cp50 values was found between the placebo and pregabalin groups. Using the delta method, the Cp50 value of propofol was estimated to be 16.9 μg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.1-18.8) in the placebo group and 9.4 μg/mL (95% CI, 4.46-14.3) in the pregabalin group. Secondary outcome measures revealed significantly decreased opioid consumption and pain levels in the recovery area in the pregabalin group compared to the placebo group.

conclusionsThis study demonstrated that pretreatment with 300 mg pregabalin significantly reduced the Cp50 value of propofol by 44%, as calculated using the delta method. When 300 mg of pregabalin is administered before anesthesia and propofol is used for maintenance via TCI, a lower target effect-site concentration might be sufficient. Additionally, pregabalin premedication has the potential to decrease postoperative pain and opioid consumption.

Indexed as

AnalgesicsAnesthetics, Intravenousgamma-Aminobutyric AcidPregabalinPropofolAdultDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansInfusions, IntravenousMiddle AgedPreoperative CareAnalgesicsAnesthetics, Intravenousgamma-Aminobutyric AcidPregabalinPropofol

Identifiers

PMID41165238
PMCPMC13326925

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.