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REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Geriatric Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1525639
Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorders in The Elderly: How Can We Stop The Harm? A Literature Review
Provisionally accepted- 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
- 2 Labor Health and Occupational Disease Teaching and Research Office, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
- 3 Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shenzhen, Hong Kong Region, China
Postoperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) represent a significant challenge affecting patients undergoing surgical procedures, particularly in the elderly population. These disorders can lead to profound impairments in cognitive function, impacting memory, attention, and overall quality of life. Despite ongoing research efforts to identify risk factors and improve management strategies, PND remains underdiagnosed and poorly understood, complicating postoperative recovery and rehabilitation. This review aims to explore the recent advancement in the literature about PND, focusing on the underlying mechanisms, risk factors, and potential therapeutic approaches. We highlight recent advancements in the understanding of neuroinflammation, and it is implications for novel therapies to prevent PND. By synthesizing the latest research, we hope to provide insights that could lead to improved outcomes for patients at risk for PND and foster a shift towards more effective preventive measures in such population.
Keywords: Neuroinflammation, Neuroprotection, Elderly, postoperative neurocognitive disorders, Postoperative Complications
Received: 15 Nov 2024; Accepted: 17 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jasem, Gu, Zeng, Wang, Liu and Ma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ling Ma, Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shenzhen, 518104, Hong Kong Region, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.