title: The effects of surgery and anesthesia on memory and cognition.
abstract: This chapter describes current findings from the research into postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) following cardiac and non-cardiac surgery in older adults. The evidence suggests that a significant proportion of patients show POCD in the early weeks following surgery and anesthesia. Specific domains of cognition are affected, especially memory. Much less evidence supports the presence of POCD several months or years after surgery, suggesting that POCD may be transient. However, several methodological issues make it difficult to compare findings across studies. Increasing age is among the most consistently reported patient-related risk factor. Other factors more directly related to the surgery and anesthesia are likely to contribute to the pathogenesis of POCD, including inflammatory processes triggered by the surgical procedure. Animal studies have provided valuable findings otherwise not possible in human studies; these include a correlation between the inflammatory response in the hippocampus and the development of POCD in rodents.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, 4565 chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC H3W 1W5, Canada. nicole.caza@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Caza
authors.forename: Rame
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: Yanqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blaise
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications