Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Impaired Cognitive Domains in Surgical Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors' conclusion
The prevalence of preoperatively impaired cognitive domains was the highest in executive function, followed by visuospatial function and attention/working memory/processing speed.
Study context
- Population
- Surgical patients ≥18 years of age with preoperative cognitive assessment by neuropsychological battery (excluding neurological surgery)
- Participants
- 5,725 patients · 21 studies
- Outcome
- Perioperative prevalence of impaired cognitive domains
Methodological details11 non-cardiac surgery studies, 10 cardiac surgery studies; 5 databases searched to March 19, 2024
- 11 non-cardiac surgery studies, 10 cardiac surgery studies; 5 databases searched to March 19, 2024
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Preoperative pooled prevalence of impairment by cognitive domain · Preoperative
- Executive function
- 18%; 95% CI, 13%-24%
- Visuospatial function
- 16%; 95% CI, 6%-26%
- Attention/working memory/processing speed
- 14%; 95% CI, 9%-18%
- Perceptual-motor control
- 13%; 95% CI, 9%-36%
- Language
- 13%; 95% CI, 8%-17%
- Learning/memory
- 12%; 95% CI, 8%-16%
Further pooled results
Postoperative pooled prevalence of impairment by cognitive domain · 1 week
- Attention/working memory/processing speed
- 35% (95% CI, 4%-66%)
- Executive function
- 34% (95% CI, 16%-51%)
- Learning/memory
- 28% (95% CI, 16%-40%)
Postoperative pooled prevalence of impairment by cognitive domain · within 3 months
- Attention/working memory/processing speed
- 16% (95% CI, 3%-35%)
- Executive function
- 15% (95% CI, 6%-24%)
- Learning/memory
- 12% (95% CI, −2% to 25%)
Original publication
Impaired Cognitive Domains in Surgical Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Anesth Analg. Published 13 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →