About this Research Topic
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) represents a clinical situation where patients undergoing general anesthesia display a decline in memory or attention, personality changes, or abnormality in social behavior. POCD also leads to neurological or psychiatric symptoms such as postoperative delirium and depression. Many risk factors are considered to be associated to the occurrence of POCD, including aging, intelligence, imbalance of intestinal flora, preoperative medication, type and time of the operation, anesthetic factors etc.
The type of anesthesia, the depth of anesthesia, and the choice of anesthetics matter towards the occurrence and development of POCD. Among others, the depth of anesthesia was generally considered as a main risk factor for POCD and its related disorders. However, the influence of anesthesia depth on brain metabolism, cerebral blood flow, neurotransmitter release, and inflammatory factors has not been clearly illustrated. Different anesthetics also exhibit diverse effects on postoperative cognitive ability and remain to be explored.
Neuroinflammation is an essential factor of POCD underlying all clinical interventions. The harmful stimulation brought by surgical anesthesia leads to the release of inflammatory mediators in surrounding tissues. Postoperative stress responses also trigger the morphological change of microglia, the activation of astrocytes, and the production of cytokines and chemokines in the central nervous system. Signaling pathways including nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway and toll-like receptor (TLR)- 4 mediated inflammatory pathways are activated in microglia-mediated inflammatory responses. Ischemia and hypoxia in hippocampal CA3 region induced by microthrombus during extracorporeal circulation result in neuronal death and glial activation. Conclusively, the role of neuroinflammation in POCD merits further investigation. Here, we raised this topic focusing on investigating the relationship between neuroinflammation and postoperative cognitive dysfunction and related disorders.
In this Research Topic, we welcome all types of article including Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspectives, Clinical Trials, Case Reports and Opinion articles that cover POCD and the influence Neuroinflammation has on it, among other factors.
The type of anesthesia, the depth of anesthesia, and the choice of anesthetics matter towards the occurrence and development of POCD. Among others, the depth of anesthesia was generally considered as a main risk factor for POCD and its related disorders. However, the influence of anesthesia depth on brain metabolism, cerebral blood flow, neurotransmitter release, and inflammatory factors has not been clearly illustrated. Different anesthetics also exhibit diverse effects on postoperative cognitive ability and remain to be explored.
Neuroinflammation is an essential factor of POCD underlying all clinical interventions. The harmful stimulation brought by surgical anesthesia leads to the release of inflammatory mediators in surrounding tissues. Postoperative stress responses also trigger the morphological change of microglia, the activation of astrocytes, and the production of cytokines and chemokines in the central nervous system. Signaling pathways including nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway and toll-like receptor (TLR)- 4 mediated inflammatory pathways are activated in microglia-mediated inflammatory responses. Ischemia and hypoxia in hippocampal CA3 region induced by microthrombus during extracorporeal circulation result in neuronal death and glial activation. Conclusively, the role of neuroinflammation in POCD merits further investigation. Here, we raised this topic focusing on investigating the relationship between neuroinflammation and postoperative cognitive dysfunction and related disorders.
In this Research Topic, we welcome all types of article including Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspectives, Clinical Trials, Case Reports and Opinion articles that cover POCD and the influence Neuroinflammation has on it, among other factors.
Keywords: Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction, Anesthesia, Anesthetics, Neuroinflammation
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