Association Between Preoperative Mechanical Bowel Preparation and Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients...

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Gastroenterology
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) impacts patient quality of life after surgery.
• Mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) is used to improve surgical visibility but its impact on POCD is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of MBP on POCD in colorectal surgery patients.
• To investigate the association between MBP, POCD, and specific biomarkers (tau protein, BDNF, LBP).

Main Methods:

• A single-center randomized controlled trial involving 80 patients undergoing colorectal surgery.
• Cognitive function assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at three time points.
• Blood samples collected for biomarker analysis, with POCD defined as a >1 SD MoCA decline from baseline.

Main Results:

• POCD incidence was significantly higher with MBP (55%) compared to no MBP (7.5%).
• Patients with POCD showed elevated tau protein and lower BDNF levels.
• LBP levels were higher in the MBP group, while BDNF levels were higher in the no-MBP group post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• MBP is associated with an increased incidence of POCD in colorectal surgery patients.
• Biomarker changes (tau, BDNF, LBP) correlate with POCD.
• Larger trials are required to validate these preliminary findings.