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Is hospitalisation a risk factor for cognitive decline in the elderly?
Lucia Chinnappa-Quinn1,2, Michael Bennett3,4, Steve Robert Makkar5
1School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington.
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|October 26, 2019
Summary
Any hospital stay may increase cognitive decline risk in older adults. Age is a key factor, and research is exploring inflammatory causes and treatments.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Cognitive decline is a common concern in older adults, particularly after hospitalisation.
- Previous research has focused on specific contexts like surgery, delirium, and critical care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if all types of acute hospitalisations increase the risk of cognitive decline in older adults.
- To review recent observational studies on cognitive outcomes following acute hospitalisation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of observational studies.
- Searches conducted in Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO databases.
- Analysis of cognitive outcomes in older adults post-hospitalisation.
Main Results:
- All types of acute hospitalisations, including emergent and elective, are associated with cognitive decline.
- Critical care admissions and those complicated by delirium show the highest incidence of cognitive decline.
- Advanced age is the most significant risk factor for post-hospitalisation cognitive decline.
Conclusions:
- Acute hospitalisation, regardless of reason, appears to elevate cognitive decline risk in the elderly.
- The precise mechanisms driving post-hospitalisation cognitive change require further investigation.
- Understanding and mitigating cognitive changes after hospitalisation is crucial for an aging population.
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