Postoperative Delirium

Delayed neurocognitive recovery is a common neurocognitive complication in older patients after surgery, especially those with preoperative neurocognitive decline. Transcranial photobiomodulation therapy is a novel neuromodulation technique using transcranial low-power light to modulate brain biological functions. This technique has been used to treat various neurological or psychiatric conditions, including ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and major depression. This study is designed to explore whether using transcranial photobiomodulation therapy during the perioperative period can reduce the incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery in older patients with pre-existing neurocognitive impairment.

The overall goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of perioperative oral creatine supplementation and to explore its effects on cognitive function and physiological responses to surgery in older adults. Creatine is commonly used to enhance athletic performance, but it can also have positive effects on the brain. Since surgery can alter thinking, memory, and attention patterns in some patients, we will assess whether creatine affects these changes in older adults undergoing surgery.

Establish a follow-up database for postoperative delirium in cardiac surgery patients, adopt a bidirectional cohort design to simultaneously analyze the associations between "preoperative exposure factors and postoperative delirium incidence" and "postoperative delirium and long-term adverse outcomes", and clarify the predictive factors and prognostic impacts of postoperative delirium.

Delirium is a common consequence of cardiac surgery and associates with poor outcomes. Multiple causes can trigger delirium occurence, and it has been hypothesised that sleep disturbances can be one of them. Dexmedetomidine may be effective in reducing delirium. The aim of this study was to demonstrate preoperative dexmedetomidine nasal spray in cardiac surgery patients can reduce postoperative delirium by improving preoperative sleep.

Elderly patients undergoing transurethral resection are at increased risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and delirium, which are associated with prolonged hospital stay, increased morbidity, and decreased quality of life. Identifying patients who are more likely to develop postoperative cognitive dysfunction or delirium remains a practical challenge in daily clinical practice. Better recognition of these patients may help tailor perioperative care and improve outcomes. This prospective observational study aims to identify perioperative factors associated with POCD and delirium in elderly patients undergoing transurethral resection and to develop a clinically applicable risk prediction model. Cognitive function and delirium are assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). Cognitive function and delirium will be evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). The results of this study may support clinicians in recognizing vulnerable patients earlier and may contribute to more individualized perioperative management.

This prospective, randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the perioperative use of lemborexant, an orexin receptor antagonist, for reducing postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing general anesthesia.

This multicenter, prospective, non-interventional observational study (ORTOPODCZ) investigates the association between preoperative cognitive impairment and postoperative delirium (POD) in older adults undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty in the Czech Republic. Postoperative delirium is a frequent and serious neurocognitive complication in senior surgical patients and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and impaired functional and cognitive outcomes. Despite international recommendations, routine preoperative cognitive screening remains insufficiently implemented. The study evaluates the predictive value of the ALBA test, a brief cognitive screening tool, performed during the pre-anesthetic assessment. Postoperative delirium will be assessed using the validated CAM-ICU instrument for up to 72 hours after surgery. Secondary objectives include assessing the relationship between POD and frailty, polypharmacy, comorbidities, type of anesthesia, intraoperative hemodynamics, blood loss, vasoactive support, and postoperative complications. Approximately 300-400 participants aged ≥65 years will be enrolled across seven centers. No additional procedures, biological sampling, or deviations from standard clinical care are required. Data will be collected in REDCap and analyzed according to a predefined statistical analysis plan. The study aims to provide robust evidence supporting the integration of cognitive screening into routine preoperative evaluation and to describe feasibility and implementation requirements for the ALBA test in clinical practice.

After heart surgery, up to half of all patients may develop a state of sudden confusion called postoperative delirium. This condition can lead to longer time on a breathing machine, extended stays in the intensive care unit (ICU), and a slower overall recovery. Currently, doctors have no reliable way to predict delirium early enough to take preventive action. This study aims to build a computer-based early warning system. The system will combine continuous, real-time measurements of brain waves (EEG), the oxygen level in the brain, and heart and blood pressure function. It will also include information about each patient's health status. By analyzing all of these signals together, the model is designed to give an alert 1 to 6 hours before delirium might start, giving the care team a window of time to intervene. The study will take place in the ICU at Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University. Adults between 18 and 80 years old who are admitted to the ICU after heart surgery will be invited to participate. All patients will receive the usual standard of care; the study does not test any new treatment. Participation means the investigators will continuously record the brain, oxygen, and heart signals that are already being monitored, and a researcher will regularly assess the patient's thinking and alertness with a simple bedside check.

This international, multicentre prospective cohort study will assess whether perioperative duration and magnitude of mean arterial pressure (MAP) outside of an individual's cerebral autoregulation (CA) limits using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) are associated with adverse neurological events. It is to investigate whether patients with a higher burden of cerebral haemodynamic insults have an increased incidence or poorer neurological outcomes. Associations between neurologic outcomes, neurobiomarkers and genetic tests will be explored.

Intraoperative hypothermia is common in patients having major surgery and the compliance with intraoperative temperature monitoring and management remains poor. Studies suggest that intraoperative hypothermia is an important risk factor of postoperative delirium, which is associated with worse early and long-term outcomes. Furthermore, perioperative hypothermia increases stress responses and provokes immune suppression, which might promote cancer recurrence and metastasis. In a recent trial, targeted temperature management reduced intraoperative hypothermia and emergence delirium. There was also a trend of reduced postoperative delirium, although not statistically significant. This trial is designed to test the hypothesis that intraoperative targeted temperature management may reduce postoperative delirium and improves progression-free survival in older patients recovering from major cancer surgery.

Postoperative delirium is a common and serious complication in elderly patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery and is associated with increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stay, and higher healthcare costs. Preoperative psychological distress has been suggested as a potential risk factor influencing postoperative outcomes; however, its relationship with delirium and other clinical outcomes remains insufficiently explored. This prospective observational study aims to investigate the association between preoperative distress levels and postoperative delirium, pain intensity, and length of hospital stay in elderly patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Preoperative distress will be assessed using validated tools, and postoperative outcomes including delirium incidence, pain scores, and hospital stay duration will be recorded and analyzed. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to improved perioperative risk stratification and may support the development of targeted interventions to reduce postoperative complications in this vulnerable patient population.

In this study, the investigators want to examine the effects of intravenous anesthetic drugs and gases on cognitive functions in the postoperative period in individuals who will undergo surgery for obesity. The investigators believe that the anesthesia method we apply with inhalation gases is also as reliable method as total intravenous anesthesia for postoperative cognitive functions in these patients who undergoe sleeve gastrectomy. The anesthesia method applied intravenously and with inahalational gases have been applied safely for many years. Comparisons between these two anesthesia technics in obese individuals and for postoperative cognitive dysfunctions are limited. Studies on the examination of cognitive functions in postoperative patients have gained momentum with the use of neuropsychiatric tests performed on patients who have undergone cardiac surgery and these tests have also been performed on individuals who have undergone non-cardiac surgery. And yet, similar declines in cognitive functions have been observed. For these reasons, the effects of surgery itself and anesthesia methods on cognitive functions have been studied up to date. In this study, the investigators plan to evaluate patients who will undergo obesity surgery in both anesthesia methods by the recovery times from anesthesia and the residual effects of anesthesia, and after awakening they plan to evaluate their cognitive functions with neuropsychiatric tests that will be performed at certain intervals.

The results of this study have significant implications for clinical practice and guideline development. The current European guideline on postoperative Delirium prevention (ESAIC 2024) explicitly identifies a lack of large, adequately powered studies comparing different anesthetic techniques and is therefore currently unable to provide clear recommendations on the selection of an optimal technique. This study will close this knowledge gap and thus support future guideline recommendations. The results could show that a particular anesthetic technique (e.g., propofol) is associated with a significantly lower risk of postoperative delirium; if so, this would have immediate implications for modifying standard anesthesia protocols in hospitals. Furthermore, Delirium is a significant public health challenge in aging societies. With demographic aging, the number of older patients undergoing surgery is continuously increasing. The societal costs of Delirium are estimated at several billion euros per year in major industrialized nations. A reduction in the incidence of postoperative Delirium by just 10% through optimization of the anesthetic procedure would therefore have major health economic implications.

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common acute and transient form of brain dysfunction in elderly patients following surgery that can lead to serious adverse clinical outcomes and even death. Although existing studies have preliminarily investigated the effects of opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA) on POD, high-quality evidence on these effects for elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery remains limited. This study aims to investigate the effects of OFA on the development of POD in elderly patients following gastrointestinal surgery. This single-centre, prospective, randomized controlled trial will be conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, China. A total of 654 patients aged 65 years or older who are scheduled for elective gastrointestinal surgery will be randomly allocated to receive either opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA; dexmedetomidine, esmolol, and esketamine) or conventional opioid-based anaesthesia (OBA). The primary outcome is the incidence of POD 7 days after surgery. The secondary outcomes are all-cause mortality within 30 days after surgery, intraoperative haemodynamic changes, the 15-item quality of recovery (QoR-15) scores at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after surgery, complications during postoperative hospitalization, pain numerical rating scale (NRS) score at 72 h after surgery, incidence of nausea and vomiting at 72 h after surgery, morphine milligram equivalent for analgesics at 72 h after surgery, duration of anaesthesia (from induction to discontinuation), duration of surgery (from skin incision to the last suture), duration of post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, and length of hospital stay. The results of this study may shed light on the effects of OFA on POD in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. The study is designed on the basis of the following key hypothesis: the use of opioid drugs for anaesthesia may increase the risk of POD through mechanisms such as blood-brain barrier destruction, neuroinflammatory responses, and central nervous system depression. Through the single-centre and prospective design of this randomized controlled trial, this study will directly analyse differences in the effects of OFA and conventional OBA on the incidence of POD, haemodynamic stability and long-term cognitive function in elderly patients.

Naples Prognostic Score (NPS) originally developed to predict outcomes in inflammatory and malignant conditions; we asked if it can effectively predict postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing hip surgery? NPS integrate markers such as albumin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio-all of which have been linked to adverse postoperative outcomes including POD.

The Sleep Optimization for Brain Health Outcomes in Older Surgical Patients (SLEEP-BOOST) is a pilot randomized, controlled, singled-blinded (participant) trial in major orthopedic joint surgery patients that will build on a previously clinically tested cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) mobile application paired with a wearable device (wrist actigraphy).

Postoperative delirium (POD) is the most common adverse neurologic complication that can occur in patients of any age. Its incidence varies across age groups and is substantially influenced by patient-related risk factors. POD occurs in 17%-61% of major surgical procedures. Several risk factors which contribute to the development of POD include age more than 60 years, pre-existing cognitive dysfunction, presence of comorbidities, sensorial deficits, malnutrition, polypharmacy, impaired physical mobility and frailty. Postoperative delirium has several wide ranging and adverse outcomes that are consistently associated with delirium such as mortality, increased length of hospital stay, and increased hospital costs. A recently devised tool for rapid assessment of delirium is the 4 A's test. It has now been validated for identifying delirium in the surgical population. The proposed prospective observational study will be conducted on 150 patients belonging to ASA Physical Status I-III of either sex, scheduled to undergo non-cardiac surgery under general anaesthesia (GA), requiring at least 24 hours of postoperative inpatient care. This prospective, observational study aims to evaluate the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of postoperative delirium in elderly patients more than 65 years of age undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

Esketamine is frequently used during the perioperative period for supplemental analgesia. Small sample size trials showed that subanesthetic dose esketamine may decrease postoperative neurocognitive complications. However, conflicting results exist and optimal dose of esketamine remains to be determined. This dose-exploring pilot trial is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of three different perioperative esketamine dosing regimens in older patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery. The primary purpose is to explore the optimal dosing strategy that produce maximal neurocognitive benefits with minimal adverse neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Basics (state of scientific knowledge): Delirium is an acute disturbance of consciousness and attention that develops over a short period of time and fluctuates in severity. It is accompanied by a deterioration in cognitive performance, such as memory deficits, disorientation, and speech and thinking disorders, which significantly exceed the degree of any pre-existing limitations . Surgery and intensive medical treatment are considered to be two of the triggers. In cardiac surgery, the incidence is reported to be between 10 and 50%, depending on the patient population. Delirium occurs approximately 3-4 days after surgery and lasts for several days. Relevant factors in the cardiac surgery population include age, duration of aortic clamping time or surgical technique, pre-existing conditions such as the extent of heart failure (EuroScore), diabetes mellitus, mental and cognitive impairments, or carotid stenosis. Both current studies and current recommendations emphasize prevention and the lack of successful treatment options. Preventive measures are primarily investigated in packages of measures. The study presented here aims to define risk populations and test the sensitivity and specificity of the MO-FA2-(TB) score for the development of delirium. Objectives of the study: Verification of the predictive score "MO-FA2-(TB)" for the development of postoperative delirium Recording of delirium and associated influencing factors and endpoints Categories examined in the score: Memory using a list of words that must be memorized and repeated after a few minutes Orientation by asking about the year, month, date, day of the week, city, and location Frailty using the ASA score Use of heart-lung machine Incision-suture time Study duration (for individual subjects): postoperative intensive care stay up to and including day 10 Study population Patients who have to undergo cardiac surgery with CPB Inclusion criteria: Elective cardiac surgery Heart valve surgery, bypass surgery with CPB Length of stay in ICU \> 48 hours Age ≥18 years Fluent German language skills Exclusion criteria: Age \<18 years Lack of capacity to give consent Emergency Readmission to intensive care unit OPCAB surgery, microsurgical procedure Recruitment: Information provided the day before surgery based on the surgical schedule If consent is given, score is recorded If ICU stay \>48 hours, treatment data is recorded, otherwise exclusion Data collection up to and including d10 Treatment data collected: Preoperative data, including ejection fraction, aids, abuse, scores collected ("4AT test" for rapid assessment of delirium and cognitive impairment, "MO-FA2-(TB)", "geriatric check" for identifying a geriatric patient) Intraoperative data, including duration of surgery, duration of heart-lung machine, acidosis Postoperative data in ICU, including delirium scores (ICDSC, CAM-ICU), days on ventilation, days of treatment, fluid intake, medication related to delirium, organ replacement therapy such as dialysis Number of cases: Approx. 100 patients Methodology Monocentric, observation

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery often complain of anxiety before a major operation and the resulting stress. This circumstance is a risk factor for mental problems that may occur after the operation (e.g., delirium or memory deficits). This study aims to prevent these discomforts by a preoperative relaxation intervention.

Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) can be observed after cardiosurgical interventions. Taken together, these postoperative neurocognitive dysfunctions contribute to increased morbidity and mortality and higher economic costs. Preoperative risk factors of postoperative neurocognitive dysfunctions, such as decreased neuropsychometric performance or decreased cognitive daily activities, can be interpreted as reduced cognitive reserve. The aim of this study is to build up cognitive reserves to protect against the development of POD and POCD through preoperative, home-based, cognitive training.

This study compares the effects of ibuprofen administered during surgery and within the first 24 hours after surgery, versus no ibuprofen, on cerebral oxygenation, postoperative changes in consciousness (postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction), length of stay in the intensive care unit, and the incidence of postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and pruritus in patients undergoing lung lobectomy or segmentectomy using a closed (video-assisted) method (VATS - video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery), in whom one-lung ventilation is applied. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of ibuprofen on cerebral oxygenation, postoperative cognitive changes, and delirium in patients undergoing one-lung ventilation.

Objective: To investigate the association between preoperative hippocampal glucose metabolism levels and the risk of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and to provide a prospective neuroimaging biomarker for identifying high-risk populations. Methods: This prospective cohort study plans to enroll 154 elderly T2DM patients scheduled for liver tumor resection at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital. Baseline cognitive function will be assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) one day before surgery. Hippocampal glucose metabolism will be quantitatively evaluated by measuring the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) of bilateral hippocampi using ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT. POD will be assessed twice daily from postoperative days 1 to 7 using the 3-Minute Diagnostic Interview for CAM (3D-CAM). The correlation between preoperative hippocampal SUVmean and POD incidence will be analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. The predictive performance will be evaluated by constructing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Furthermore, the relationship between a peripheral insulin resistance marker (the triglyceride-glucose index, TyG index) and hippocampal metabolism levels will be analyzed. Significance: This study aims to determine whether impaired preoperative hippocampal metabolism serves as an independent risk factor for POD. The findings are expected to provide a prospective functional neuroimaging biomarker for the early warning of POD and offer a theoretical basis for developing precise prevention strategies targeting cerebral metabolic abnormalities. This will facilitate the application of neuroimaging techniques in the field of perioperative brain dysfunction monitoring.

This prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate whether remimazolam can reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. A total of 170 patients aged 65 years or older will be enrolled and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either remimazolam or a propofol-midazolam regimen for anesthesia induction and maintenance. Standard perioperative monitoring, BIS-guided anesthesia depth control, and postoperative pain management will be applied in both groups. The primary outcome is the incidence of postoperative delirium within 5 days after surgery, assessed twice daily using the 3D-CAM. Secondary outcomes include emergence agitation, extubation time, postoperative pain scores, cognitive function at discharge, intraoperative hemodynamic stability, unplanned ICU admission, postoperative complications, and length of ICU stay. This study aims to determine whether remimazolam provides a safer and more effective anesthetic option for improving postoperative neurological outcomes and recovery in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy.

The goal of this follow-on pilot randomized clinical trial is to obtain additional preliminary data to inform a larger, adequately powered phase 2b trial of daridorexant for the prevention of postoperative delirium after heart surgery. Having demonstrated feasibility in a prior study (RSRB #9841), this study aims to estimate the effect of daridorexant on (1) reducing delirium symptom burden and incidence and (2) improving self-reported sleep quality during the postoperative period, and (3) to assess the feasibility of collecting objective sleep data in the postoperative setting. Participants will: complete a baseline visit; take the study drug, either daridorexant or placebo, each of the first three nights after heart surgery; and be evaluated daily for sleep and delirium during the first three postoperative days. Participants will also have the option of wearing a sleep monitor in the hospital each of the first three nights after surgery.