Abstract
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication of the central nervous system in elderly patients after operation. It will prolong the length of stay, reduce the independence and quality of daily life, and increase the risk of death. However, at present, there is a lack of safe and effective ideal drugs for the prevention and treatment of POCD. Melatonin is one of the hormones secreted by the pineal gland of the brain, which has the functions of regulating circadian rhythm, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, and so on. Some recent studies have shown that MT can prevent and treat POCD by adjusting circadian rhythm, restoring cholinergic system function, neuroprotection, and so on. This article will introduce POCD, melatonin and the mechanism of melatonin on POCD, respectively, to provide a basis for clinical prevention and treatment of POCD in the elderly.
Highlights
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is defined as a new cognitive disorder after anesthesia and operation, which is characterized by impaired personality, social ability, and cognitive ability after the operation and can last for days, months, or years
Melatonin could restore the desynchronization of clock gene expression induced by isoflurane and improve aged mice’s circadian rhythm disorder and spatial memory impairment
Sevoflurane anesthesia reversibly suppressed the expression of the clock gene, Period2 (Per2), in the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
Summary
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is defined as a new cognitive disorder after anesthesia and operation, which is characterized by impaired personality, social ability, and cognitive ability after the operation and can last for days, months, or years. It is a common complication of the central nervous system in elderly patients after operation (Evered and Silbert, 2018). POCD is the result of various mechanisms, such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, dysfunction of neurotransmitters or their receptors, circadian rhythm disorders, iron overload This paper aims to summarize these articles to provide a basis for clinical prevention and treatment of POCD in the elderly
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