Size matters: Grey matter brain reserve predicts executive functioning in the elderly.

Preserved executive functioning (EF) is crucial for daily functioning in the elderly and it appears to predict dementia development. We sought to clarify the role of atrophy-corrected cortical grey matter (GM) volume as a potential brain reserve (BR) marker for EF in the elderly. In total, 206 pre-surgical subjects (72.50 ±â€¯4.95 years; mean MMSE score 28.50) were investigated. EF was primarily assessed using the Trail Making Test B (TMT B). Global/ lobar GM volumes were acquired with T1 MP-RAGE. Adjusting for key covariates including a brain atrophy index (i.e. brain parenchymal fraction), multiple linear regression analysis was used to study associations of GM volumes and TMT B. All GM volumes - most notably of global GM - were significantly associated with TMT B independently of GM atrophy (ß = -0.201 to -0.275, p = 0.001-0.012). Using atrophy-corrected GM volume as an estimate of maximal GM size in youth may serve as a BR predictor for cognitive decline in future studies investigating BR in the elderly.

Personalized risk prediction of postoperative cognitive impairment - rationale for the EU-funded BioCog project.

Postoperative cognitive impairment is among the most common medical complications associated with surgical interventions - particularly in elderly patients. In our aging society, it is an urgent medical need to determine preoperative individual risk prediction to allow more accurate cost-benefit decisions prior to elective surgeries. So far, risk prediction is mainly based on clinical parameters. However, these parameters only give a rough estimate of the individual risk. At present, there are no molecular or neuroimaging biomarkers available to improve risk prediction and little is known about the etiology and pathophysiology of this clinical condition. In this short review, we summarize the current state of knowledge and briefly present the recently started BioCog project (Biomarker Development for Postoperative Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly), which is funded by the European Union. It is the goal of this research and development (R&D) project, which involves academic and industry partners throughout Europe, to deliver a multivariate algorithm based on clinical assessments as well as molecular and neuroimaging biomarkers to overcome the currently unsatisfying situation.

Hypertension and Risk of Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) occurs frequently after major surgery. Hypertension is well-established as a risk factor for age-related cognitive impairment, but it is unclear whether or not it also increases the risk of POCD. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of hypertension in POCD risk in a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD: PubMed, Ovid SP and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for longitudinal studies of adults undergoing surgery with reporting of hypertension, blood pressure and/or anti-hypertensive treatment associations with POCD as relative risks or odds ratios. Fixed-effects meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager (version 5.3). RESULTS: Twenty-four studies on 4317 patients (mean age 63 years) were included. None of the studies had set out to assess hypertension as a risk factor for POCD. Hypertension was used as a categorical predictor throughout and only 2 studies adjusted for potential confounders. Across all 24 studies, hypertension was not significantly associated with POCD risk (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.93, 1.09; p=0.82), though among 8 studies with >75% males, we found hypertension associations with a 27% increased risk of POCD (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.07, 1.49; p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Our findings do not support the hypothesis that hypertension is a risk factor for POCD. However, since none of the studies included in our analysis were hypothesis-driven and most did not adjust for potential confounders, further systematic investigations are needed to evaluate the role of hypertension in the epidemiology of POCD.

Diabetes is associated with risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) occurs frequently after surgery, particularly among older people. Diabetes, chronic hyperglycemia, and a history of hypoglycemia are related to cognitive impairment, but little is known about their roles in POCD. Here, we estimated their associations with risk of POCD on the basis of published epidemiological research. METHODS: The PubMed and Cochrane databases were searched for longitudinal studies of adults undergoing surgery with reporting of associations of diabetes status, glycemic levels, and/or a history of hypoglycemia with risk of POCD as relative risks or odds ratios. Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. RESULTS: The search identified 246 publications of which 14 met inclusion criteria, reporting on a total of 2642 patients (mean age 64 y). Follow-up periods spanned 1 day to 5 years. Overall, patients with diabetes had a 1.26-fold higher risk of POCD compared with diabetes-free patients (95% CI, 1.12-1.42). A single study assessed glycemic control in patients with diabetes and identified a higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level as associated with higher POCD risk (relative risk per percent higher HbA1c, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6). We did not find studies on glycemic levels in the nondiabetic range or on hypoglycemia as potential predictors of POCD. CONCLUSION: Patients with diabetes appear to have a higher risk of POCD compared with diabetes-free persons. Among patients with diabetes, POCD risk may further increase with poorer glycemic control as indexed by higher HbA1c. The roles of HbA1c levels among nondiabetic persons in POCD risk warrant further research.