Surgery Can Cause Cognitive Losses in Some Seniors

New research to be released in June on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) may clear up some of the mystery behind the phenomenon, reports the Washington Post . Although subtle, POCD symptoms such as memory problems and learning difficulties can last as long as a year and tend to affect older populations after surgical procedures. Estimates on the share of persons who experience POCD vary between studies, but the percentages are substantial. Other issues include how best to measure the complication and whether it can be prevented or treated, while the matter of anesthesia and its possible role in POCD also is relevant. Research has examined whether the choice of intraoperative anesthetic or depth of anesthesia have any relevance in terms of POCD, but findings to date have been inconclusive. Other studies point to the stress of surgery itself, rather than the anesthesia, as a trigger for POCD. For example, Stacie Deiner at Mount Sinai in New York City has been performing general anesthesia on healthy seniors who undergo cognitive testing and brain scans both before and after. She says preliminary results indicate "very good and rapid cognitive recovery in older adults after anesthesia," and she suggests "the surgery or the medical conditions surrounding surgery" are to blame for subsequent cognitive dysfunction.