title: Association of low serum anticholinergic levels and cognitive impairment in elderly presurgical patients.
abstract: Low-dose scopolamine, given as presurgery medication, resulted in low levels of serum anticholinergic activity and caused measurable cognitive impairment in 18 psychiatrically healthy elderly patients. The degree of impairment was directly related to serum anticholinergic activity levels and, in the small subgroup of patients scheduled for spinal anesthesia, to CSF anticholinergic activity. Two of the mental status tests used, the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test and the Saskatoon Delirium Checklist, were sensitive enough to detect these mild drug-induced changes, while two other tests, the Mini-Mental State and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, were not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Jyu
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lemay
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiscock
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Keegan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D001285:Atropine / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D001285:Atropine; D012601:Scopolamine