Cognitive declines after perioperative covert stroke: Recent advances and perspectives

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Aging populations necessitate surgical interventions, increasing the risk of perioperative covert stroke.
• Perioperative covert stroke poses a significant health threat and social burden, impacting long-term neurological outcomes.
• Silent strokes occurring around surgery are increasingly recognized as a major concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent findings on perioperative covert stroke.
• To highlight the association between perioperative covert stroke and long-term cognitive decline in surgical patients.
• To discuss future perspectives for early diagnosis and management.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on perioperative covert stroke.
• Analysis of findings linking perioperative covert stroke to cognitive impairment.
• Evaluation of advanced brain imaging techniques for detection.

Main Results:

• Perioperative covert stroke is associated with long-term cognitive decline in surgical patients.
• Multimodal MRI sequences can detect subtle ischemic lesions and pre-existing vascular diseases.
• Effective predictive markers for identifying high-risk patients are currently lacking.

Conclusions:

• Early diagnosis and prevention of perioperative covert stroke are critical due to its devastating long-term consequences.
• Advanced imaging aids in detecting early injuries and risk factors.
• Further research is needed to develop predictive markers for high-risk individuals.