Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of scalp nerve block combined with general anesthesia in optimizing anesthesia in the patients with moyamoya disease undergoing revascularization.Methods:A total of 154 patients with moyamoya disease, aged 18-64 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, undergoing elective revascularization, were divided into 2 groups ( n=77 each) using a random nunber table method: scalp nerve block combined with general anesthesia group (GN group) and general anaesthesia group (G group). Anesthesia was induced with intravenous midazolam 0.05 mg/kg, sufentanil 0.5-1.0 μg/kg, rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg and etomidate 0.2-0.3 mg/kg.After the patients were tracheally intubated after anesthesia induction, ipsilateral scalp nerve block (2 ml for supraorbital nerve block, 2 ml for supratrochlear nerve block; 3 ml for auriculotemporal nerve block, 3 ml for greater occipital nerve block, 3 ml for less occipital nerve block) was performed with 0.5% ropivacaine in GN group.The equal volume of normal saline was locally injected in G group.Anesthesia was maintained by inhalation of sevoflurane and intravenous infusion of remifentanil 0.05-0.10 μg·kg -1·min -1 and cisatracurium 0.1 mg·kg -1·h -1.The consumption of intraoperative remifentanil, requirement for postoperative rescue analgesia, nausea and vomiting, length of postoperative hospital stay, and early neurological complications were recorded.The modified Rankin Scale scores were evaluated before operation, at discharge and at 6 months after operation. Results:Compared with G group, the consumption of intraoperative remifentanil and requirement for postoperative rescue analgesia were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, incidence of neurological complications, length of postoperative hospital stay, and modified Rankin Scale scores at each time point in GN group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Scalp nerve block combined with general anesthesia can increase the perioperative analgesic efficacy and is helpful in achieving a low-opioid anesthesia mode when used in the patients with moyamoya disease undergoing revascularization.