Cognitive function after surgery with regional or general anesthesia: A population-based study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• General anesthesia (GA) is linked to long-term cognitive decline in older adults.
• The impact of regional anesthesia (RA) on cognitive function requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the long-term cognitive decline associated with regional anesthesia (RA) versus general anesthesia (GA) in older adults.
• To determine if RA accelerates cognitive decline similarly to GA.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study analyzed cognitive function in 1819 older adults.
• Cognitive changes were assessed over time in participants who received RA or GA.
• Statistical models evaluated the rate of change in global and domain-specific cognition.

Main Results:

• Both RA and GA were associated with an increased rate of global cognitive decline compared to no anesthesia.
• The rate of global cognitive decline did not differ significantly between RA and GA groups.
• Accelerated memory decline was observed after GA, but not after RA.

Conclusions:

• Older adults undergoing surgery with RA experience global cognitive decline comparable to those receiving GA.
• Regional anesthesia does not appear to affect memory decline, unlike general anesthesia.