# The Effect of Preoperative Anxiety on Motor and Sensory Block Duration and Effectiveness in Spinal Anesthesia

## TL;DR

This study found that preoperative anxiety does not affect the duration or effectiveness of spinal anesthesia in patients.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in demonstrating that preoperative anxiety does not influence motor and sensory block outcomes in spinal anesthesia.

## Key findings

- Preoperative anxiety levels did not correlate with motor or sensory block onset or duration.
- Women showed higher preoperative anxiety scores and longer motor block recovery times compared to men.
- Anxiety was associated with a higher incidence of bradycardia during spinal anesthesia.

## Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the effect of preoperative anxiety on the sympathetic block that developed after spinal anesthesia and therefore the duration of motor and sensory blockade.

After the approval of the ethics committee, 90 patients between the ages of 18 and 55 years who were to be operated under spinal anesthesia were included in the study. Preoperative anxiety of the patients was evaluated with the Spielberger trait and State Anxiety Scale and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The Bromage scores of the patients were followed up intermittently. Onset time of sensory block, onset time of motor block, and motor block recovery time were recorded. Cases with bradycardia and hypotension were noted.

No statistically significant correlation was found between the duration of motor block onset (5.81 ± 4 min), the sensory block onset time (0.89 ± 0.4 min), and the motor block recovery time (92.06 ± 36.9 min) with other variables. VAS (5.81 ± 2.5), STAI-1 (40.4 ± 9.8), and STAI-2 (41.69 ± 8.2) values had a statistically significant effect on the occurrence of bradycardia (14.4%). The variables of VAS, STAI-1, STAI-2, sensory block onset, motor block onset, and motor block recovery time were statistically significantly higher in women (mean 5.24 ± 2.4, 38.97 ± 9.9, 41.43 ± 8.7, 0.89 ± 0.42, 5.64 ± 3.82, and 88.77 ± 38.74 in males and mean 7.15 ± 2.1, 43.74 ± 8.9, 42.30 ± 7.0, 0.88 ± 0.27, 6.20 ± 4.35, and 99.70 ± 31.70 in females, respectively).

It was observed that preoperative anxiety had no effect on motor and sensory block onset and duration.