Post-op delirium may signal faster mental decline

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, March 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Older people often develop delirium after surgery, and new research finds it’s associated with a faster rate of mental decline.

The study underscores the importance of preventing delirium to preserve brain health in older adults undergoing surgery, according to the authors.

“Whether delirium causes this faster rate of decline, or is simply a marker of those at risk of experiencing faster rates of decline, remains to be determined,” co-author Zachary Kunicki said in a press release from the Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Boston.

Kunicki is an assistant professor at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University in Providence, RI

Researchers found a 40% faster rate of cognitive (mental) decline in those who developed delirium compared to those who did not.

Delirium is an altered mental state characterized by confusion and disorientation. Often temporary, it is the most common postoperative complication in elderly patients, the authors note.

For the study, the researchers followed 560 adults, aged 70 and over, measuring their cognition (or mental state) every six months for 36 months, then every year thereafter for up to six years.

Using a combination of 11 cognitive tests, the researchers found that mental changes after surgery are complex and that delirium influences every moment.

Delirium was associated with a greater decline in mental abilities at one month, greater recovery at two months, and then a more rapid decline over all periods from six months to six years.

These results suggest that delirium may contribute to cognitive decline after surgery. It’s also possible that delirium simply identifies people at risk for more rapid future cognitive decline, the researchers suggested.

“Although future studies are needed, this study raises the possibility that delirium may predispose to permanent cognitive decline and potentially dementia,” said the study’s co-author. Dr. Sharon InouyeDirector of the Aging Brain Center at the Marcus Institute.

The results were published on March 20 in JAMA internal medicine. The study was funded by the US National Institute on Aging.

The American Medical Association has more on post-surgical delirium.

SOURCE: Hebrew SeniorLife, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, press release, March 20, 2023

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