Does memory priming during anesthesia matter?

This editorial argues that there is evidence for memory priming during adequate anaesthesia, and that research in the field of social cognition suggests that such priming may have important behavioural consequences. Comments made in the operating room about a patient's prognosis, appearance or state of consciousness could exacerbate their existing anxieties about the operation, themselves or the anaesthetic and may contribute to postoperative anxiety, depression and insomnia.