According to the study, the prevalence of preexisting cognitive impairment is well-documented before cardiac surgery, but less data exists on PreCI before non-cardiac surgery. The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment, which can progress to Alzheimer’s disease, is unknown in non-cardiac surgery patients. The study sought to determine the relationship between PreCI and mild cognitive impairment and total hip joint replacement surgery, as anesthesia and surgery have been implicated in Alzheimer’s pathology.
The study examined 152 subjects aged 60 years or older who were scheduled for total hip joint replacement surgery. The subjects underwent assessment, including neuropsychologic testing, one week before surgery. Those test results were then compared with published norms.
The study concluded that PreCI and mild cognitive impairment tend to identify different subjects. Because amnestic mild cognitive impairment is known to progress to Alzheimer’s, future studies should document the presence or absence of pre-existing impairment so the rate of conversion to the disease after anesthesia or surgery can be compared with the overall population.
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