Successful aging after elective surgery II: Study design and methods

The Successful Aging after Elective Surgery (SAGES) II study was designed to increase knowledge of the pathophysiology and linkages between delirium and dementia. We examine novel biomarkers potentially associated with delirium, including inflammation, Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and neurodegeneration, neuroimaging markers, and neurophysiologic markers. The goal of this paper is to describe the study design and methods for the SAGES II study.

The SAGES II study is a 5-year prospective observational study of 400-420 community dwelling persons, aged 65 years and older, assessed prior to scheduled surgery and followed daily throughout hospitalization to observe for development of delirium and other clinical outcomes. Delirium is measured with the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), long form, after cognitive testing. Cognitive function is measured with a detailed neuropsychologic test battery, summarized as a weighted composite, the General Cognitive Performance (GCP) score. Other key measures include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)/electroencephalography (EEG), and Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. We describe the eligibility criteria, enrollment flow, timing of assessments, and variables collected at baseline and during repeated assessments at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 18 months.

This study describes the hospital and surgery-related variables, delirium, long-term cognitive decline, clinical outcomes, and novel biomarkers. In inter-rater reliability assessments, the CAM ratings (weighted kappa = 0.91, 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.74-1.0) in 50 paired assessments and GCP ratings (weighted kappa = 0.99, 95% CI 0.94-1.0) in 25 paired assessments. We describe procedures for data quality assurance and Covid-19 adaptations.

This complex study presents an innovative effort to advance our understanding of the inter-relationship between delirium and dementia via novel biomarkers, collected in the context of major surgery in older adults. Strengths include the integration of MRI, TMS/EEG, PET modalities, and high-quality longitudinal data.