Cognitive impairment measured by event-related potentials during early and late postoperative period following intravenous or inhalation anaesthesia

Identification of individuals at risk for postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD)

“…One previous study has revealed that event-related potentials, which marks electrophysiological components, is capable of differentiating cognitive functions between older and younger adults, 79 and has been utilized as a marker for cognition when comparing POCD incidence between intravenous and inhalation anaesthesia. 23 In another study, 6-min walk distance measured before surgery has been shown to be lower in those who developed POCD. 80 These findings are still at early stages, and require further validation.…”

“…Current studies usually assessed cognition preoperatively at time of admission or within 24 h before surgery. 22 , 23 , 47 Given that hospitalization before surgery and potential medical treatment as well as psychological stress may affect cognitive performance, the assessment at time of hospital admission may serve as a better point of preoperative assessment.…”

“…27 Anaesthetic methods Currently, whether the incidence of POCD differs between regional and general anaesthesia remains controversial. Although several studies revealed no difference between anaesthesia methods on cognitive dysfunctions, 23,28 review and meta-analysis in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB revealed that the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of inhalation anaesthesia group was significantly higher than that of total intravenous anaesthesia group. 55 In addition, in older patients who underwent hip fracture surgery, the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale and Colour-Word Task score on day 30 after surgery in subarachnoid anaesthesia group was significantly lower than that in general anaesthesia group, although the overall cognitive test scores did not differ between these two methods, 24 suggesting that the effect of anaesthetic methods on risk of POCD may vary in different surgical types and may affect particular cognitive domains.…”

Neuroprotective Effects and Mechanisms of Senegenin, an Effective Compound Originated From the Roots of Polygala Tenuifolia

“…Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a new form of cognitive dysfunction that occurs after surgery. There is evidence that POCD occurs in 41% of surgical patients over 60 years old, and 50% of those patients will suffer permanent dysfunction, which is associated with higher mortality rates ( Holečková et al, 2018 ). Congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes mellitus, previous stroke/transient ischemic attack, anesthetics and other factors have all been proved to be related to the occurrence of POCD ( Medi et al, 2013 ; Hou et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Despite the fact that the exact cause of POCD is unclear, cholinergic failure in the central nervous system is believed to be its underlying biological basis ( Holečková et al, 2018 ; Kotekar et al, 2018 ). Senegenin, as a pharmacological drug that inhibits acetylcholinesterase, is expected to play a significant role in the treatment of POCD.…”