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Cognitive Assessment And Post-Operative Complications After Surgery: Linking Anaesthesia And Risk
Sponsor: University of Edinburgh
Summary
Many older people can experience confusion, memory problems, or a decline in their thinking after major surgery. These problems are sometimes called 'postoperative neurocognitive disorders' or PND and can affect recovery and a person's ability to live independently. The investigators want to find out the best way to study these problems in older patients undergoing surgery. This is a 'feasibility study', which means we are testing the research methods. The investigators want to see if it is possible to ask participants to do memory tests and give blood samples before and after their operation. The investigators are hoping to include around 40 patients over 2 years in this study. The investigators will compare performance in memory (cognitive assessment) findings before and after surgery and link this to data taken from the anaesthetic, including the types of drugs used, duration, brain features from processed electroencephalogram monitoring and standard recommended monitoring. In addition the investigators will link this to blood sample markers of brain health and function (biomarkers). The results of this study will help the investigators plan a much larger study in the future, with the ultimate goal of making surgery safer for the brain.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
70 Years - Any
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
40
Start Date
2026-03-18
Completion Date
2028-03
Last Updated
2026-04-08
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Montreal Cognitive Assessment
Preoperative and Postoperative MoCA
biomarkers
* Pre-operatively: sample collected at a suitable time of blood draw for routine peri-operative clinical samples or insertion of a peripheral venous cannula as part of routine anaesthetic care after consent and enrollment. This may be in the POPS clinic or on day of admission for surgery or when canulated for anaesthesia. * Immediate post-operative period: sample collected in recovery or on the ward at the first ordered routine blood-draw. * Up to 7 days post-surgery: sample collected on the ward (or last anticipated routine sample). Biomarkers assessed will be a panel linked to brain injury, inflammation, and cognitive impairment in non-ICU populations.
Locations (1)
Western General Hospital
Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom