Preoperative Cognitive Function Research Articles

The relationship between intraoperative hypothermia and postoperative delirium: The PNDRFAP study.

Our study aimed to investigate the correlation between intraoperative hypothermia and postoperative delirium (POD) in patients undergoing general anesthesia for gastrointestinal surgery. The study comprised 750 participants from the Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorder Risk Factor and Prognosis (PNDRFAP) study database, which ultimately screened 510 individuals in the final analysis. Preoperative cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The occurrence of POD was determined using the Confusion Assessment Method, and the severity of POD was evaluated using the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale. Logistic regression was employed to scrutinize the association between intraoperative hypothermia and the incidence of POD, and the sensitivity analysis was conducted by introducing adjusted confounding variables. Decision curves and a nomogram model were utilized to assess the predictive efficacy of intraoperative hypothermia for POD. Mediation analysis involving 10,000 bootstrapped iterations was employed to appraise the suggested mediating effect of numeric rating scale (NRS) scores at 24 and 48h post-surgeries. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of intraoperative hypothermia in predicting POD. In the PNDRFAP study, the occurrence of POD was notably higher in the intraoperative hypothermia group (62.2%) compared to the intraoperative normal body temperature group (9.8%), with an overall POD incidence of 17.6%. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for various confounding factors (age [40-90], gender, education, MMSE, smoking history, drinking history, hypertension, diabetes, and the presence of cardiovascular heart disease), demonstrated that intraoperative hypothermia significantly increased the risk of POD (OR=4.879, 95% CI=3.020-7.882, p<.001). Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between intraoperative hypothermia and POD was partially mediated by NRS 24h after surgery, accounting for 14.09% of the association (p=.002). The area under the curve of the ROC curve was 0.685, which confirmed that intraoperative hypothermia could predict POD occurrence to a certain extent. Decision curve and nomogram analyses, conducted using the R package, further substantiated the predictive efficacy of intraoperative hypothermia on POD. Intraoperative hypothermia may increase the risk of POD, and this association may be partially mediated by NRS scores 24h after surgery.

Frailty efficacy as a predictor of clinical and cognitive complications in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundFrailty is proposed as a predictor of outcomes in patients undergoing major surgeries, although data on the association of frailty and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are lacking. We assessed the association between frailty and cognitive and clinical complications following CABG.MethodsThis prospective study included patients aged over 60 years undergoing elective CABG at Tehran Heart Center from 2020 to 2022. Baseline and three-month follow-up data on frailty using the Frail scale and clinical Frail scale, functional status using the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), cognitive function by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and depression by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were obtained. The incidence of adverse outcomes was investigated at the three-month follow-up. Outcomes between frail and non-frail groups were compared utilizing T-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests, as appropriate.ResultsWe included 170 patients with a median age of 66 ± 4 years (75.3% male). Of these, 58 cases were classified as frail, and 112 individuals were non-frail, preoperatively. Frail patients demonstrated significantly worse baseline MOCA scores (21.08 vs. 22.41, P = 0.045), GDS (2.00 vs. 1.00, P = 0.009), and Lawton IADL (8.00 vs. 6.00, P < 0.001) compared to non-frail. According to 3-month follow-up data, postoperative MOCA and GDS scores were comparable between the two groups, while Lawton IADL (8.00 vs. 6.00, P < 0.001) was significantly lower in frail cases. A significantly higher rate of readmission (1.8% vs. 12.1%), sepsis (7.1% vs. 19.0%), as well as a higher Euroscore (1.5 vs. 1.9), was observed in the frail group. A mildly significantly more extended ICU stay (6.00 vs. 5.00, p = 0.051) was shown in the frail patient.ConclusionFrailty showed a significant association with a worse preoperative independence level, cognitive function, and depression status, as well as increased postoperative complications.

Molecular Determinants of Neurocognitive Deficits in Glioma: Based on 2021 WHO Classification

Cognitive impairment is a common feature among patients with diffuse glioma. The objective of the study is to investigate the relationship between preoperative cognitive function and clinical as well as molecular factors, firstly based on the new 2021 World Health Organization’s updated classification of central nervous system tumors. A total of 110 diffuse glioma patients enrolled underwent preoperative cognitive assessments using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Clinical information was collected from medical records, and gene sequencing was performed to analyze the 18 most influenced genes. The differences in cognitive function between patients with and without glioblastoma were compared under both the 2016 and 2021 WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system to assess their effect of differentiation on cognition. The study found that age, tumor location, and glioblastoma had significant differences in cognitive function. Several genetic alterations were significantly correlated with cognition. Especially, IDH, CIC, and ATRX are positively correlated with several cognitive domains, while most other genes are negatively correlated. For most focused genes, patients with a low number of genetic alterations tended to have better cognitive function. Our study suggested that, in addition to clinical characteristics such as age, histological type, and tumor location, molecular characteristics play a crucial role in cognitive function. Further research into the mechanisms by which tumors affect brain function is expected to enhance the quality of life for glioma patients. This study highlights the importance of considering both clinical and molecular factors in the management of glioma patients to improve cognitive outcomes.

Irreversible postoperative cognitive impairment after unruptured intracranial aneurysm treatment in the elderly.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction and recovery remain unclear in older patients undergoing interventional therapies for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs). This study aimed to compare changes in postoperative cognitive function between younger and older patients and to detect factors associated with non-recovery from postoperative cognitive dysfunction. This study reviewed 59 consecutive patients with UIAs who underwent interventional therapies, including microsurgical clipping or endovascular treatment, from 2021 to 2022. All patients were divided into the older (aged ≥ 70years) and younger (aged < 70years) groups. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) were performed within 2months before interventions, at 1week postoperatively (POW1), and 3-6months postoperatively (POM3-6). MMSE and FAB scores decreased more frequently in the older group than in the younger group at POW1 (older vs. younger: MMSE: 48% vs. 21%, p < 0.05; FAB: 56% vs. 18%, p < 0.01). In the older group, the FAB Z-score decreased in POW1 and recovered by POM3-6 (p < 0.01), while the MMSE Z-score continued to decrease (p = 0.04). Age and the preoperative MSME Z-score were significantly associated with non-recovery from decreased MMSE score at POM3-6 (recovery vs. non-recovery, age: 62years old vs. 72years old, p = 0.03, preoperative MMSE Z-score: 0.16 vs. - 0.90, p < 0.01). This retrospective study found that older patients were more likely to have a postoperative cognitive decline after UIA treatment and implicated that global cognitive function tended to decline more than executive function in the long term. In addition, this study demonstrated that lower preoperative cognitive function was associated with inadequate postoperative cognitive recovery. The findings potentially contribute to the establishment of indications for treating UIAs in older patients.

Machine learning-based prediction models for parathyroid carcinoma using pre-surgery cognitive function and clinical features

Patients with parathyroid carcinoma (PC) are often diagnosed postoperatively, due to incomplete resection during the initial surgery, resulting in poor outcomes. The aim of our study was to investigate the pre-surgery indicators of PC and try to develop a predictive model for PC utilizing machine learning. Evaluation of pre-surgery neuropsychological function and confirmation of pathology were carried out in 133 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from December 2019 to January 2023. Patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 93) and a validating cohort (n = 40). Analysis of the clinical dataset, two machine learning including the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were utilized to develop the prediction model for PC. Logistic regression analysis was also conducted for comparison. Significant differences in elevated parathyroid hormone and decreased serum phosphorus in PC compared to (BP). The lower score of MMSE and MOCA was observed in PC and a cutoff of MMSE < 24 was the optimal threshold to stratify PC from BP (area under the curve AUC 0.699 vs 0.625). The predicted probability of PC by machine learning was similar to the observed probability in the test set, whereas the logistic model tended to overpredict the possibility of PC. The XGBoost model attained a higher AUC than the logistic algorithms and LASSO models. (0.835 vs 0.683 vs 0.607). Preoperative cognitive function may be a probable predictor for PC. The cognitive function-based prediction model based on the XGBoost algorithm outperformed LASSO and logistic regression, providing valuable preoperative assistance to surgeons in clinical decision-making for patients suspected PC.

Association between patient-reported cognitive function and location of glioblastoma

Objective cognitive function in patients with glioblastoma may depend on tumor location. Less is known about the potential impact of tumor location on cognitive function from the patients’ perspective. This study aimed to investigate the association between patient-reported cognitive function and the location of glioblastoma using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping. Patient-reported cognitive function was assessed with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment (EORTC) QLQ-C30 cognitive function subscale preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively. Semi-automatic tumor segmentations from preoperative MRI images with the corresponding EORTC QLQ-C30 cognitive function score were registered to a standardized brain template. Student’s pooled-variance t-test was used to compare mean patient-reported cognitive function scores between those with and without tumors in each voxel. Both preoperative brain maps (n = 162) and postoperative maps of changes (n = 99) were developed. Glioblastomas around the superior part of the left lateral ventricle, the left lateral part of the thalamus, the left caudate nucleus, and a portion of the left internal capsule were significantly associated with reduced preoperative patient-reported cognitive function. However, no voxels were significantly associated with postoperative change in patient-reported cognitive function assessed 1 month postoperatively. There seems to be an anatomical relation between tumor location and patient-reported cognitive function before surgery, with the left hemisphere being the dominant from the patients’ perspective.

Predictive factors for home discharge after femoral fracture surgery: a prospective cohort study.

Femoral fractures require protracted hospitalization and often preclude return to pre-fracture levels of mobility, function and prior residential status following hospital discharge. Early prediction of rehabilitation and discharge potential in patients with femoral fracture would optimize discharge planning. To identify predictive factors of discharge destination during the early phase of femoral fracture rehabilitation. Prospective cohort design. Acute and postoperative rehabilitation hospital settings. Data from 109 participants (65 women [59.6%]) admitted for unilateral femoral fracture were included. Sociodemographic information, hip pain severity during gait (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), mobility (Elderly Mobility Scale), activities of daily living (Modified Barthel Index), cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]), exercise self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale), amount of physiotherapy received, and caregiver availability were assessed pre- and/or postoperatively. Discharge destination was assessed via telephone interviews 6 weeks after discharge from acute care. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine optimal cut-off scores for all outcomes based on discharge destination. Outcomes demonstrating a significant area under the curve were entered as dichotomous independent variables (i.e., above or below ROC-derived cut-off values) in subsequent logistic regression analyses to determine predictors of discharge destination. SEE Score ≥53 (odds ratio [OR]=5.975, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.674-21.333, P=0.006), female sex (OR=3.421, 95% CI=1.187-9.861, P=0.023), ≥8 physiotherapy sessions (OR=4.633, 95% CI=1.559-13.771, P=0.006), MMSE Score ≥17 (OR=3.374, 95% CI=1.047-10.873, P=0.042), and caregiver availability (OR=3.766, 95% CI=1.133-12.520, P=0.030) were identified as significant predictors of home discharge. Exercise self-efficacy, female sex, more physiotherapy rehabilitation training, better pre-operative cognitive function, and caregiver availability emerged as important predictors of home discharge following femoral fracture. These findings are highly translational and may be useful for informing clinical guidelines and policy decisions regarding rehabilitation potential and discharge pathway selection during early hospitalization following femoral fracture surgery.

EEG pre-burst suppression: characterization and inverse association with preoperative cognitive function in older adults.

The most common complication in older surgical patients is postoperative delirium (POD). POD is associated with preoperative cognitive impairment and longer durations of intraoperative burst suppression (BSup) - electroencephalography (EEG) with repeated periods of suppression (very low-voltage brain activity). However, BSup has modest sensitivity for predicting POD. We hypothesized that a brain state of lowered EEG power immediately precedes BSup, which we have termed "pre-burst suppression" (preBSup). Further, we hypothesized that even patients without BSup experience these preBSup transient reductions in EEG power, and that preBSup (like BSup) would be associated with preoperative cognitive function and delirium risk. Data included 83 32-channel intraoperative EEG recordings of the first hour of surgery from 2 prospective cohort studies of patients ≥age 60 scheduled for ≥2-h non-cardiac, non-neurologic surgery under general anesthesia (maintained with a potent inhaled anesthetic or a propofol infusion). Among patients with BSup, we defined preBSup as the difference in 3-35 Hz power (dB) during the 1-s preceding BSup relative to the average 3-35 Hz power of their intraoperative EEG recording. We then recorded the percentage of time that each patient spent in preBSup, including those without BSup. Next, we characterized the association between percentage of time in preBSup and (1) percentage of time in BSup, (2) preoperative cognitive function, and (3) POD incidence. The percentage of time in preBSup and BSup were correlated (Spearman's ρ [95% CI]: 0.52 [0.34, 0.66], p < 0.001). The percentage of time in BSup, preBSup, or their combination were each inversely associated with preoperative cognitive function (β [95% CI]: -0.10 [-0.19, -0.01], p = 0.024; -0.04 [-0.06, -0.01], p = 0.009; -0.04 [-0.06, -0.01], p = 0.003, respectively). Consistent with prior literature, BSup was significantly associated with POD (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.34 [1.01, 1.78], p = 0.043), though this association did not hold for preBSup (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.04 [0.95, 1.14], p = 0.421). While all patients had ≥1 preBSup instance, only 20.5% of patients had ≥1 BSup instance. These exploratory findings suggest that future studies are warranted to further study the extent to which preBSup, even in the absence of BSup, can identify patients with impaired preoperative cognition and/or POD risk.

Evaluation of the brain cellular damage during liver transplantations.

Neuroinflammation in patients undergoing major surgery can lead to neuronal damage, and neuronal damage can be detected through the measurement of biochemical markers of brain damage. S100 beta (S100 β), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels are considered good biomarkers to detect brain damage that emerged with neurotoxicity. To evaluate neuronal damage during liver transplantations. After approval of the ethics committee and patient consents, preoperative and postoperative cognitive functions of 33 patients undergoing liver transplantation were measured using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), whereas simultaneous neuronal damage was evaluated through the measurement of S100β, NSE, and GFAP levels. There was no statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative MMSE. There was a statistically significant decrease in postoperative GFAP (P < 0.05) and a statistically significant increase in NSE (P < 0.05) compared to preoperative values. The decrease in S100β (P > 0.05) level was statistically insignificant. Neuroprotective approaches in anesthesia protocol protect patients from brain damage during liver transplantation and prevent the development of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Since the significant increase in NSE levels during liver transplantations was deemed to have been associated with causes other than neuronal damage, NSE should not be evaluated as a marker of brain damage in these operations.

Processing speed test and 30-day readmission in elderly non-cardiac surgery patients- A retrospective study.

Preoperative cognitive function screening can help identify high-risk patients, but resource-intensive testing limits its widespread use. A novel self-administered tablet computer-based Processing Speed Test (PST) was used to assess cognitive "executive" function in non-cardiac surgery patients, but the relationship between preoperative test scores and postoperative outcomes is unclear. The primary outcome was a composite of 30-day readmission/death. The secondary outcome was a collapsed composite of discharge to a long-term care facility/death. Exploratory outcomes were 1) time to discharge alive, 2) 1-year mortality and 3) a collapsed composite of postoperative complications. This retrospective study, after approval, was conducted in elective non-cardiac surgery patients ≥65 years old. We assessed the relationship between processing speed test scores and primary/secondary outcomes using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounding variables. Overall 1568 patients completed the PST, and the mean ± standard deviation test score was 33 ± 10. The higher PST score is associated with better executive function. A 10-unit increase in the test score was associated with an estimated 19% lower 30-day readmission/death odds, with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.81 (0.68, 0.96) (P = 0.015). Similarly, 10-unit increase in test score was associated with an estimated 26% lower odds of long-term care need/death, with OR (95% CI) of 0.74 (0.61, 0.91) (P = 0.004). We also found statistically significant associations between the test scores and time to discharge alive and to 1-year mortality, however, not with a composite of postoperative complications. Elderly non-cardiac surgery patients with better PST scores were less likely to be readmitted, need long-term care after discharge or die within 30 days. Preoperative assessment of cognitive function using a simple self-administered test is feasible and may guide perioperative care.

Impact of preoperative cognitive impairment on changes in electrical activity of the brain in patients undergoing combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting

HighlightsThe presence of preoperative mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients undergoing combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with an increased theta activity at the frontal and parieto-occipital regions of both hemispheres after surgery. AbstractAim. To study the impact of preoperative cognitive impairment on changes in electrical activity of the brain in patients undergoing combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting.Methods. Sixty-three patients undergoing combined carotid endarterectomy (CAE) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were included in the study. The patients were divided into three groups, depending on the preoperative cognitive functions: without cognitive impairment (n = 17), with MCI (n = 29), and with severe cognitive impairment (n = 17). High-resolution electroencephalography (EEG) (62 channels, bandpass filtered between 0.1–50.0 Hz, sampling rate of 1000 Hz) was performed 3–5 days before and 7–10 days after surgery.Results. Patients with severe cognitive impairment at baseline presented with higher theta activity at the frontal region of the left hemisphere compared to patients without cognitive impairment and patients with MCI (p = 0.048). At the same time, patients with MCI showed the most pronounced theta activity increase after surgery compared to preoperative levels at the frontal and parieto-occipital cortical regions of both the left and right hemispheres (p≤0.05). Postoperative changes of theta activity in patients with severe cognitive impairment were minimal and statistically insignificant.Conclusion. Patients without severe preoperative cognitive impairment presented with higher grade brain dysfunction in the form of increased theta activity at the frontal and parieto-occipital regions after combined CAE and CABG. A smaller decrease in theta power after surgery in patients with severe preoperative cognitive impairment, on the one hand, can indicate compensation after cerebral ischemia and resistance to hypoperfusion during on-pump cardiac surgery, and on the other, can be a manifestation of the ceiling effect and insufficiency of brain functional reserves.

Cognitive Function and Postoperative Outcomes in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.

Determine the relationship between cognitive function and postoperative outcomes. This IRB-approved retrospective cohort study included all patients treated between August 2015 and March 2020 undergoing major surgery for aerodigestive cancer or cutaneous/thyroid cancer that required free-flap reconstruction at Henry Ford Hospital. Routine administration of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was completed as part of preoperative psychosocial evaluation. Outcomes included postoperative diagnosis of delirium, discharge disposition, return to the emergency department within 30 days of surgery, and readmission within 30 days of surgery. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the associations between preoperative MoCA score and each outcome measure. One hundred thirty-five patients with HNC were included in the study (mean [SD] age, 60.7 [±10.8] years; 70.4% [n=95] male; 83.0% [n=112] White, 16.3% [n=22] Black). The average preoperative MoCA score was 23.4 (SD ± 4.5). Based on the MoCA score, 35% (n=47) scored ≥26 (i.e., normal cognitive status), 55.6% (n=75) scored between 18 and 25 (i.e., mild impairment), 8.1% (n=11) scored between 10 and 17 (i.e., moderate impairment), and 1.5% (n=2) scored <10 (i.e., severe impairment). After adjusting for other variables, a lower MoCA score was associated with discharge disposition to a location other than home and prolonged length of hospital stay. Preoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing major head and neck surgery for head and neck cancer was associated with discharge destination and length of stay. 3 Laryngoscope, 133:2999-3005, 2023.

Cognitive function after carotid endarterectomy in asymptomatic patients.

Asymptomatic carotid stenosis has been shown to be associated with progressive neurocognitive decline, but the effects of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on this are not well defined. Due to the wide heterogeneity of studies and lack of standardization in cognitive function tests and study design, there is mounting scientific evidence to support the notion that CEA is effective in reversing or slowing neurocognitive decline; however, definitive conclusions are difficult to make. Further, while the association between ACS and cognitive decline has been well document, a direct etiological role has not been established. More research is required to elucidate the relationship between asymptomatic carotid stenosis and the benefit of carotid endarterectomy and its potential protective effects regarding cognitive decline. This article aims to review current evidence in preoperative and postoperative cognitive function in asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis undergoing CEA.

Changes of health-related quality of life 6 months after high-risk oncological upper gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery: a single-centre prospective observational study (ChangeQol Study)

IntroductionPostoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an essential outcome in oncological surgery, particularly for elderly patients undergoing high-risk surgery. Previous studies have suggested that, on average, HRQoL returns to...

Evaluation of the relationship between intraoperative cerebral oxygen saturation and postoperative cognitive functions in laparoscopic hysterectomy surgery

Objective: Laparoscopic surgery has become more popular than traditional open surgery because it is less invasive, provides faster recovery, and provides better cosmetic success. This procedure requires insufflation of an inert gas into the peritoneal cavity. This may be an increase in arterial CO2, changes in cerebral blood flow, an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), a decrease in cardiac output. The primary outcome of this study is to show the effect of IAP levels on cerebral oxygen saturation (COS) in patients who underwent laparoscopic total abdominal hysterectomy, and the secondary outcome is to reveal the relationship between IAP and COS and the recovery of postoperative cognitive functions.&#x0D; Material and Method: Demographic data of the cases were recorded and mini-mental test (MMT) was applied to evaluate the preoperative cognitive functions of the cases before surgery. COS monitoring were performed with standard anesthesia procedure for all patients. The MMT was repeated after the surgery.&#x0D; Results: A total of 40 female patients were included in the study. Those with IAP level 12 and below were defined as Group Low-Pressure, and those above 12 were defined as Group High-Pressure. There was no statistical difference between the anesthesia times and recovery times of the two groups. While there was no statistical difference in the preoperative MMT evaluation, it was found to be significantly lower in Group H in the postoperative MMT evaluation.&#x0D; Conclusion: In this study, we evaluated the effect of intraoperative IAP levels on intraoperative COS. It is seen that high IAP level does not have a negative effect on COS. In addition, this study has evidence that high IAP affects postoperative cognitive functions. In intraoperative management for TLH surgery, we recommend maintaining the IAP level at the lowest appropriate pressure that does not impair surgical comfort.

Effect of the using a pupillometer on recovery and early cognitive functions in anesthesia management for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography in geriatric patients

Background/Aim: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an invasive procedure used for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreaticobiliary pathologies. Because it is an invasive procedure that is difficult to tolerate by the patient and takes a long time, it is preferable to use it under deep patient sedation and even under general anesthesia in some cases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of using a pupillometer versus the Ramsey sedation scale (RSS) during anesthesia management for ERCP on recovery and return of cognitive functions in the geriatric patient population. Methods: A mini-mental test was applied to evaluate the pre-operative cognitive functions of the cases before the intervention. The included patients were divided into groups using the sealed-envelope method. Management of the depth of anesthesia was evaluated by Ramsey sedation scale; in group R and was evaluated by pupillometer in group P. The infusion dose of dexmedetomidine was changed to 0.1 µg/kg/h according to the results of the evaluation. Results: Sixty cases were included in the study. No difference between the groups in terms of age (P=0.246), gender (P=0.797), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (P=0.197), comorbidity (P=0.748), anesthesia duration (P=0.397), midazolam doses (P=0.561), propofol doses (P=0.677), and intra-operative hemodynamic values (P=0.668) were found. Intra-operative dexmedetomidine dose was statistically significantly lower (P=0.004), and recovery was faster in group P (P&lt;0.001). While no differences between the groups in the pre-operative mini-mental test scores (P=0.140) were found, the post-operative scores were statistically significantly lower in group R (P=0.025). Conclusion: In this study, it was observed that the pupillometer led to a reduction in the use of dexmedetomidine and cognitive functions were better during the post-operative recovery period. As a result, depth of anesthesia can be monitored with a pupillometer. Although the use of pupillometer in endoscopic interventions in the geriatric patient group does not make a hemodynamic difference when compared with the RSS, the pupillometer leads to accelerated recovery from anesthesia, improvement in the return of cognitive functions, and reduction in drug consumption.

Effect of remimazolam on the incidence of delirium after transcatheter aortic valve implantation under general anesthesia: a retrospective exploratory study.

Delirium after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) should be prevented because it is associated with worse patient outcomes. Perioperative administration of benzodiazepines is a risk factor for postoperative delirium; however, the association between remimazolam, a newer ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine for general anesthesia, and postoperative delirium remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether remimazolam administration during TAVI under general anesthesia affected the incidence of postoperative delirium. This single-center retrospective study recruited all adult patients who underwent transfemoral TAVI (TF-TAVI) under general anesthesia between March 2020 and May 2022. Patients were divided into the remimazolam (R) and propofol (P) groups according to the sedative used for anesthesia. In the R group, all patients received flumazenil after surgery. The primary endpoint was the incidence of delirium within 3days after surgery. Factors associated with delirium after TF-TAVI were examined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Ninety-eight patients were included in the final analysis (R group, n = 40; P group, n = 58). The incidence of postoperative delirium was significantly lower in the R group than in the P group (8% vs. 26%, p = 0.032). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that remimazolam (odds ratio 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.80, p = 0.024) was independently associated with the incidence of postoperative delirium, even after adjustment for age, sex, preoperative cognitive function, history of stroke, and TF-TAVI approach. Remimazolam may benefit TF-TAVI in terms of postoperative delirium; however, its usefulness must be further evaluated in extensive prospective studies.

Effect of TEAS combined with general anesthesia on early postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients undergoing single-port thoracoscopic lobectomy.

To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on early cognitive function in elderly patients after single port thoracoscopic lobectomy. One hundred and nine patients who underwent single whole thoracoscopic lobectomy in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to October 2021 were included in this single-center, retrospective observational study. According to the treatment records, before anesthesia, 56 patients received TEAS (TEAS-group), and 53 patients applied electrodes at the same acupoint without electrical stimulation (control-group). Preoperative and postoperative cognitive function (Mini mental state examination, MMSE score), serum neuron specific enolase (NSE), S100β protein and p-tau protein levels and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. After operation, the MMSE of the TEAS-group was significantly better than that of the Control-group, with the MMSE of the TEAS-group returned to the preoperative level 72 hours after operation. Serum NSE, S100β and p-tau concentrations 24 hours and 72 hours after operation in the TEAS-group returned to their preoperative level and were significantly lower than those in the control-group. Hospitalization time of the TEAS-group was significantly shorter and hospitalization expenses were significantly lower comparing to the control-group. TEAS treatment could promote improved early postoperative cognitive function of elderly patients undergoing single port thoracoscopic lobectomy and could accelerate the recovery.

Age-Related Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders: Experimental Models and Druggable Targets.

With the worldwide increase in life span, surgical patients are becoming older and have a greater propensity for postoperative cognitive impairment, either new onset or through deterioration of an existing condition; in both conditions, knowledge of the patient's preoperative cognitive function and postoperative cognitive trajectory is imperative. We describe the clinical utility of a tablet-based technique for rapid assessment of the memory and attentiveness domains required for executive function. The pathogenic mechanisms for perioperative neurocognitive disorders have been investigated in animal models in which excessive and/or prolonged postoperative neuroinflammation has emerged as a likely contender. The cellular and molecular species involved in postoperative neuroinflammation are the putative targets for future therapeutic interventions that are efficacious and do not interfere with the surgical patient's healing process.

Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment may has a lower risk of cognitive decline after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation: A retrospective cohort study.

BackgroundThe cognitive outcomes induced by subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) remain unclear, especially in PD patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study explored the cognitive effects of STN-DBS in PD patients with MCI.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study that included 126 PD patients who underwent STN-DBS; all patients completed cognitive and motor assessments before and at least 6 months after surgery. Cognitive changes were mainly evaluated by the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale and the seven specific MoCA domains, including visuospatial/executive function, naming, attention, language, abstract, delayed recall, and orientation. Motor improvement was evaluated by the UPDRS-III. Cognitive changes and motor improvements were compared between PD-MCI and normal cognitive (NC) patients. Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore predictors of post-operative cognitive change.ResultsAt the time of surgery, 61.90% of the included PD patients had MCI. Compared with the PD-MCI group, the PD-NC group had a significantly higher proportion of cases with post-operative cognitive decline during follow-up of up to 36 months (mean 17.34 ± 10.61 months), mainly including in global cognitive function, visuospatial/executive function and attention. Covariate-adjusted binary logistic regression analyses showed that pre-operative global cognitive status was an independent variable for post-operative cognitive decline. We also found that pre-operative cognitive specific function could predict its own decline after STN-DBS, except for the naming and orientation domains.ConclusionPD-MCI patients are at a lower risk of cognitive decline after STN-DBS compared with PD-NC patients.