Prevalence of neurocognitive disorders 5 years after elective orthopaedic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Peri-operative neurocognitive disorders are one of the most common complications affecting older adults after anaesthesia and surgery. It is not clear how exposure to surgery and anaesthesia contributes to the prevalence of long-term neurocognitive disorders. This study aimed to report the prevalence of neurocognitive disorders, and explore pre-operative factors associated with neurocognitive disorders 5 years after elective orthopaedic surgery. METHODS: A prospective, 5-year longitudinal, cohort study was performed recruiting patients (aged ≥ 60 y) undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery and a contemporaneous non-surgical control group. Neurocognitive disorder was evaluated and classified at baseline and 5-year review incorporating: self- and informant-reported cognition; functional participation; and performance on neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: Recruitment at 5-year follow-up included 195 patients and 21 control participants. In the patient cohort the prevalence of neurocognitive disorder was 38.1% (n = 75), with 61 (30.1%) meeting the criteria for mild neurocognitive disorder and 14 (7.1%) for major neurocognitive disorder. At 5-year follow-up, 121 (61.4%) patients were classified with a neurocognitive disorder, with 88 (44.7%) characterised with mild neurocognitive disorder and 33 (16.8%) with major neurocognitive disorder. Age (odds ratio (95%CI) 1.07 (1.02-1.13); p = 0.01) and baseline cognitive impairment (odds ratio (95%CI) 2.1 (1.06-4.15); p = 0.03) were significant predictors of neurocognitive disorder 5 years after surgery. CONCLUSION: More than half of older adult patients had some form of neurocognitive disorder 5 years after elective orthopaedic surgery. Surgery and anaesthesia may be associated with the trajectory of cognitive decline in at-risk older adults, including those with pre-operative cognitive impairment. Cognitive screening should be factored into pre-operative assessments of older adults to inform subsequent care.

Examining Subjective Psychological Experiences of Postoperative Delirium in Older Cardiac Surgery Patients.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium (POD) is an acute syndrome including inattention and impaired cognition that affects approximately 42% of older cardiac surgical patients. POD is linked to adverse outcomes including morbidity, mortality, and further cognitive decline. Less is known about the subjective psychological experience of POD and its ongoing impact on well-being. METHODS: We performed a qualitative analysis of the long-term psychological sequelae of older adults who experience POD after cardiac surgery. We sampled 30 patients aged 60 years and older who experienced at least 2 episodes of POD during a prior hospital admission. We administered semistructured interviews with participants via telephone 3 to 5 years postoperatively. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Data were interpreted in accordance with the naturalist paradigm. RESULTS: Three overarching themes emerged in our qualitative analysis. The first reflected the multifaceted presentation of POD, including distortion of time and reality; feelings of isolation; and a loss of self, identity, and control. The second theme reflected the psychological challenges associated with functional decline after surgery. Common examples of functional decline included cognitive difficulties, excessive fatigue, and a perceived loss of independence. The final theme captured the emotional sequelae of acute illness, which included low mood, reduced motivation, and social comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the multidimensional experience of POD and long-term effects on psychological wellbeing. Our research highlights the beneficial role multidisciplinary clinicians play in managing POD including strategies that may be embedded into clinical practice and helps anesthesiologists understand why patients who have experienced POD in the past may present with specific concerns should they require subsequent surgery.

Inflammatory Biomarker Levels After Propofol or Sevoflurane Anesthesia: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The perioperative inflammatory response may be implicated in adverse outcomes including neurocognitive dysfunction and cancer recurrence after oncological surgery. The immunomodulatory role of anesthetic agents has been demonstrated in vitro; however, its clinical relevance is unclear. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare propofol and sevoflurane with respect to biomarkers of perioperative inflammation. The secondary aim was to correlate markers of inflammation with clinical measures of perioperative cognition. METHODS: Databases were searched for randomized controlled trials examining perioperative inflammation after general anesthesia using propofol compared to sevoflurane. Inflammatory biomarkers investigated were interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tissue necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP). The secondary outcome was incidence of perioperative neurocognitive disorders. Meta-analysis with metaregression was performed to determine the difference between propofol and sevoflurane. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included with 1611 participants. Studies varied by surgery type, duration, and participant age. There was an increase in the mean inflammatory biomarker levels following surgery, with meta-analysis revealing no difference in effect between propofol and sevoflurane. Heterogeneity between studies was high, with surgery type, duration, and patient age contributing to the variance across studies. Only 5 studies examined postoperative cognitive outcomes; thus, a meta-analysis could not be performed. Nonetheless, of these 5 studies, 4 reported a reduced incidence of cognitive decline associated with propofol use. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery induces an inflammatory response; however, the inflammatory response did not differ as a function of anesthetic technique. This absence of an effect suggests that patient and surgical variables may have a far more significant impact on the postoperative inflammatory responses than anesthetic technique. The majority of studies assessing perioperative cognition in older patients reported a benefit associated with the use of propofol; however, larger trials using homogenous outcomes are needed to demonstrate such an effect.

Digital clock drawing test metrics in older patients before and after endoscopy with sedation: An exploratory analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the postoperative period, clinically feasible instruments to monitor elderly patients' neurocognitive recovery and discharge-readiness, especially after short-stay procedures, are limited. Cognitive monitoring may be improved by a novel digital clock drawing test (dCDT). We screened for cognitive impairment with the 4 A Test (4AT) and then administered the dCDT pre and post short-stay procedure (endoscopy). The primary aim was to investigate whether the dCDT was sensitive to a change in cognitive status postendoscopy. We also investigated if preoperative cognitive status impacted postendoscopy dCDT variables. METHODS: We recruited 100 patients ≥65 years presenting for endoscopy day procedures at a single metropolitan hospital. Participants were assessed after admission and immediately before discharge from the hospital. We administered the 4AT, followed by both command and copy clock conditions of the dCDT. We analysed the total drawing time (dCDT time), as well as scored the drawn clock against the established Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) criteria both before and after endoscopy. RESULTS: Linear regression showed higher 4AT test scores (poorer performance) were associated with longer postoperative dCDT time (ß = 5.6, p = 0.012) for the command condition after adjusting for preoperative baseline dCDT metrics, sex, age, and years of education. CONCLUSION: Postoperative dCDT time-based variables slowed in those with baseline cognitive impairment detected by the 4AT, but not for those without cognitive impairment. Our results suggest the dCDT, using the command mode, may help detect cognitive impairment in patients aged >65 years after elective endoscopy.

Preventing Delirium and Promoting Long-Term Brain Health: A Clinical Trial Design for the Perioperative Cognitive Enhancement (PROTECT) Trial.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), including postoperative delirium (POD), are common in older adults and, for many, precipitate functional decline and/or dementia. OBJECTIVE: In this protocol, we describe a novel multidisciplinary, multicomponent perioperative intervention that seeks to prevent or reduce POD and associated cognitive decline. METHODS: We will conduct a prospective, single-blind, pragmatic, randomized-controlled trial to compare our tailored multi-disciplinary perioperative pathway against current standard of care practices. We will recruit a total of 692 elective surgical patients aged 65 years or more and randomize them in a 1:1 design. Our perioperative intervention targets delirium risk reduction strategies by emphasizing the importance of early mobilization, nutrition, hydration, cognitive orientation, sensory aids, and avoiding polypharmacy. To promote healthy behavior change, we will provide a tailored psychoeducation program both pre- and postoperatively, focusing on cardiovascular and psychosocial risks for cognitive and functional decline. RESULTS: Our primary outcome is the incidence of any PND (encapsulating POD and mild or major postoperative neurocognitive disorder) at three months postoperative. Secondary outcomes include any incidence of POD or neurocognitive disorder at 12 months. A specialized delirium screening instrument, the Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM), and a neuropsychological test battery, will inform our primary and secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Delirium is a common and debilitating postoperative complication that contributes to the cognitive and functional decline of older adults. By adopting a multicomponent, multidisciplinary approach to perioperative delirium prevention, we seek to reduce the burden of delirium and subsequent dementia in older adults.

A novel digital clock drawing test as a screening tool for perioperative neurocognitive disorders: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: We developed a digital clock drawing test (dCDT), an adaptation of the original pen and paper clock test, that may be advantageous over previous dCDTs in the perioperative environment. We trialed our dCDT on a tablet device in the preoperative period to determine the feasibility of administration in this setting. To assess the clinical utility of this test, we examined the relationship between the performance on the test and compared derived digital clock measures with the 4 A's Test (4AT), a delirium and cognition screening tool. METHODS: We recruited a sample of 102 adults aged 65 years and over presenting for elective surgery in a single tertiary hospital. Participants completed the 4AT, followed by both command and copy clock conditions of the dCDT. We recorded time-based clock-drawing metrics, alongside clock replications scored using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) clock scoring criteria. RESULTS: The dCDT had an acceptance rate of 99%. After controlling for demographic variables and prior tablet use, regression analyses showed higher 4AT scores were associated with greater dCDT time (seconds) for both command (ß = 8.2, P = .020) and copy clocks (ß = 12, P = .005) and lower MoCA-based clock scores in both command (OR = 0.19, P = .001) and copy conditions (OR = 0.14, P = .012). CONCLUSION: The digital clock drawing test is feasible to administer and is highly acceptable to older adults in a preoperative setting. We demonstrated a significant association between both the dCDT time and clock score metrics, with the established 4AT. Our results provide convergent validity of the dCDT in the preoperative setting.