Perioperative brain health: strategies to prevent perioperative neurocognitive disorders

Abstract

Cognitive changes in patients after anesthesia and surgery have been recognized for over 100 years. Research on postoperative cognitive changes accelerated in the 1980s and the term postoperative cognitive dysfunction emerged, which was used until recently. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction has been used in research to describe an objectively measurable decline in cognitive function using neuropsychological tests. This dysfunction had significant heterogeneity in the type, number of tests, timing of tests, and the criteria for change. Therefore, a recent article recommended a new nomenclature for perioperative neurocognitive disorders including neurocognitive disorder, postoperative delirium, delayed neurocognitive recovery, and postoperative neurocognitive disorder. Since old age and baseline cognitive impairment are important risk factors for these perioperative neurocognitive disorders, routine preoperative cognitive assessment in all elderly patients is recommended. A preventive strategy is important, since effective modality for the treatment of perioperative neurocognitive disorders is not yet known. Intraoperative monitoring of age-adjusted end-tidal minimal alveolar concentration fraction, electroencephalography-based anesthetic management, and perioperative non-pharmacological methods are recommended for effective prevention.