Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: Minding the Gaps in Our Knowledge of a Common Postoperative Complication in the Elderly

Abstract

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication associated with significant morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. There is much interest in and controversy about POCD, reflected partly in the increasing number of articles published on POCD recently. Recent work suggests surgery may also be associated with cognitive improvement in some patients, termed postoperative cognitive improvement (POCI). As the number of surgeries performed worldwide approaches 250 million per year, optimizing postoperative cognitive function and preventing/treating POCD are major public health issues. In this article, we review the literature on POCD and POCI, and discuss current research challenges in this area.

Keywords: Anesthesia; Elderly; Post-operative cognitive decline; Post-operative cognitive dysfunction; Post-operative cognitive improvement; Surgery.