Fentanyl, a mu-opioid receptor agonist, is one of the most commonly used analgesics in hospitals, and may induce long-lasting behavioral and somatosensory impairment in rodents. However, whether the use of fentanyl is associated with the development of autism is not known. An animal study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Shanghai 10th People’s Hospital, and the University of Pennsylvania has shown that fentanyl can induce changes similar to autism-like behaviors in young male and female mice. The findings are published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
Opioid analgesic fentanyl may cause autism-like behavior in young mice
Fentanyl, a mu-opioid receptor agonist, is one of the most commonly used analgesics in hospitals, and may induce long-lasting behavioral and somatosensory impairment in rodents. However, whether the use of fentanyl is associated with the development of autism is not known. An animal study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, and the University of Pennsylvania has shown that fentanyl can induce changes similar to autism-like behaviors in young male and female mice. The findings are published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.