Assessment of Cognitive Dysfunction and Quality of Recovery after General Anesthesia in Perimenopausal Women

Perimenopausal women often experience neurocognitive fluctuations due to hormonal changes, which may predispose them to cognitive dysfunction following general anesthesia. The perioperative period presents a unique vulnerability to such patients, yet limited data exist on their cognitive outcomes and overall recovery quality.

This prospective observational study included 120 perimenopausal women (age 45-55 years) scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) preoperatively, on postoperative day 1 and day 7. Quality of recovery was evaluated using the QoR-15 scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied, including paired t-tests and ANOVA.

On postoperative day 1, the mean MMSE score decreased significantly from 28.7 ± 1.1 to 26.3 ± 1.6 (P < 0.001), while the MoCA score dropped from 25.2 ± 1.5 to 22.0 ± 2.0 (P < 0.001). Both scores showed improvement by day 7 (MMSE: 27.9 ± 1.3, MoCA: 24.1 ± 1.7) but remained below baseline (P < 0.05). The mean QoR-15 score was 112.4 ± 9.8 on day 1, significantly lower than the preoperative value of 131.6 ± 6.5 (P < 0.001), with partial recovery noted on day 7 (124.9 ± 8.2).

Perimenopausal women exhibit significant early postoperative cognitive dysfunction and impaired quality of recovery after general anesthesia. Though partial cognitive and functional recovery occurs within a week, baseline levels are not fully restored.