Cognitive function mediates the relationship between age and anaesthesia-induced oscillatory-specific alpha power

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Cognitive decline is prevalent in aging, with brain mechanisms not fully understood.
• Frontal alpha activity during anesthesia is a potential biomarker for cognitive decline.
• Both chronological age and cognitive function are linked to alpha power.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if cognitive function mediates the relationship between chronological age and frontal alpha activity during general anesthesia.
• To explore the potential of EEG signals as biomarkers for cognitive function in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of intraoperative EEG and cognitive assessment data from 380 participants over 60 years old.
• Utilized telephonic Montreal Cognitive Assessment for cognitive function evaluation.
• Employed structural equation modeling to test mediation hypotheses on alpha power and aperiodic activity.

Main Results:

• Cognitive function significantly mediated the association between age and both classical alpha power and oscillatory-specific alpha power.
• No mediation effect was found for aperiodic activity (1/f slope and offset).
• Pairwise correlations between age, cognitive function, and alpha activity were significant.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive function plays a mediating role in the relationship between aging and frontal alpha activity during anesthesia.
• Anesthetic-induced EEG signals, specifically alpha power, may offer insights into a patient's age and cognitive status.
• Further research across diverse populations is necessary to confirm generalizability.