Esketamine is a common anesthetic adjuvant. Previous studies have shown that it may have protective effects on the brain. This study aims to investigate whether esketamine can improve cognitive function recovery in elderly patients (aged 60 years and older) undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either esketamine or a placebo (normal saline) during anesthesia. Neither the participants nor the researchers will know which treatment is given.
Cognitive function will be assessed using standardized tests before surgery and at 1, 3, 7, and 15 days after surgery. Sleep quality, pain scores, emotional status, and adverse events will also be recorded. Blood samples will be collected to explore potential mechanisms.
The study is expected to enroll approximately 98 participants at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University in Xi'an, China. Participation will last about 16 days from the day before surgery to the final follow-up on day 15 after surgery.
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Parallel
esketamine
DrugEsketamine is administered as an intravenous bolus of 0.3 mg/kg (over 1 minute) after anesthesia induction, followed by a continuous intravenous infusion of 0.3 mg/kg/h until 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The drug is diluted with normal saline to a total volume of 10 mL and prepared in identical syringes to ensure blinding. This intervention is used as the experimental treatment to assess its effect on postoperative cognitive recovery in elderly patients undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery
Normal Saline
DrugNormal saline is used as the placebo control. It is administered as an intravenous bolus of equal volume after anesthesia induction, followed by a continuous intravenous infusion at an equal rate until 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The saline is prepared in identical syringes to the experimental drug to maintain double-blind conditions. This intervention serves as the comparator to evaluate the specific effect of esketamine on postoperative cognitive recovery
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Score on Postoperative Day 1
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Score on Postoperative Day 1
Telephone-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA) Score at Postoperative Days 3, 7, and 15
The Telephone-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA) is an adapted version of the MoCA designed for telephone administration, removing visual-dependent items. Total scores range from 0 to 22, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function. It will be administered by trained assessors blinded to group allocation at postoperative days 3, 7, and 15 to track cognitive recovery trajectory
Sleep Quality Assessed by Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) at Postoperative Days 1 and 3
The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) is an 8-item self-report questionnaire assessing sleep quality over the past 24 hours. Total scores range from 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality: 0-3 = no insomnia; 4-6 = mild insomnia; 7-10 = moderate insomnia; ≥11 = severe insomnia.
Pain Intensity Measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at Postoperative Hours 6, 12, and 24
The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a 10-cm horizontal line anchored by "no pain" at 0 and "worst imaginable pain" at 10. Patients mark their current pain level, and the distance from 0 is measured in millimeters. Scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating more severe pain.
Emotional Status Assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at Postoperative Days 1 and 3
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is a 14-item self-report questionnaire with two subscales: anxiety (7 items) and depression (7 items). Each item is scored 0-3, with subscale scores ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate worse mood disturbance. Scores ≥11 on either subscale indicate clinically significant symptoms.
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