MicroRNA (miRNA) is a class of non‑coding small RNA molecules, which influence cognitive function by regulating telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in the brain. According to anesthetics related studies, miRNA is involved in anesthesia‑induced cognitive dysfunction. However, it is still not clear how anesthetics regulate the activity and expression of TERT and intrinsic mechanisms are not completely understood. It is possible that miRNA targets on insulin‑like growth factor (IGF) and nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) to regulate the expression and activity of TERT in the central nervous system. Furthermore, current studies have found that anesthetics regulate miRNA and influence cognitive function via related pathways. Therefore, this paper proposed a new idea on the involvement of TERT in anesthetics' influence on cognitive function and internal regulation mechanisms. TERT signaling pathway is regulated by anesthetics and miRNA, which may provide new thoughts on the exploration of anesthetics‑mediated neuronal apoptosis through regulating TERT.