Perioperative medicine & outcomes
The Preoperative Phases of the Perioperative Cognitive Anesthesia Network for Older Adults Electing Surgery: Results From an Observational Cohort
Authors' conclusion
Findings highlight how preoperative anesthesiology and neuropsychology teams can provide cognitive screening with referrals to brain health exams, and underscore the severity of unmet cognitive health care needs in older patients electing surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged 65 or older triaged for an in-person preoperative clinic visit, excluding orthopedic surgeryeligible for screening
- Participants
- 14,795 patients
- Exposure
- Screened vs not screened; referred vs nonreferred; neuropsychological impairment profiles
- Referredn = 2,790
- Outcome
- Screening uptake and atypical cognitive performance
Methodological detailsdeidentified data via honest broker, phased preoperative cognitive assessment, over 2 years
- Deidentified data via honest broker
- Phased preoperative cognitive assessment
- Over 2 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Underwent screening
83.1%
Atypical cognitive performance on screening
22.7%
Referred patients who completed neuropsychological evaluation
48.9%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Estimate | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Characteristics, screened vs not screenedScreened vs Not screened | white 87.8% vs 78.4% | P < 0.0001 |
| Characteristics, screened vs not screenedScreened vs Not screened | married 61.2% vs 57.9% | P < 0.0001 |
| Characteristics, screened vs not screenedScreened vs Not screened | nonfrail 45.6% vs 20.5% | P < 0.0001 |
| Characteristics, referred vs nonreferredReferred vs Nonreferred | age (mean ± SD) 74.6 ± 6.5 vs 72.9 ± 5.7 yrs | P < 0.0001 |
| Characteristics, referred vs nonreferredReferred vs Nonreferred | education (mean ± SD) 13.2 ± 2.9 vs 14.1 ± 2.9 yrs | P < 0.0001 |
| Characteristics, referred vs nonreferredReferred vs Nonreferred | married 58.1% vs 62.8% | P < 0.0002 |
| Characteristics, referred vs nonreferredReferred vs Nonreferred | frail 24.6% vs 16.5% | P < 0.0001 |
| Characteristics, referred vs nonreferredReferred vs Nonreferred | socioeconomically-deprived regions 52.0% vs 47.7% | P < 0.0001 |
| Characteristics, referred vs nonreferredReferred vs Nonreferred | 1-year mortality 50% greater | P < 0.0001 |
| No impairment or memory-only impairment vs attention or combined attention and memory impairmentNo/memory-only impairment vs Attention or combined impairment | nonfrail 45.5% vs 30.6% | P < 0.0001 |
| No impairment or memory-only impairment vs attention or combined attention and memory impairmentNo/memory-only impairment vs Attention or combined impairment | canceled surgery only half as likely | P = 0.0002 |
Original publication
The Preoperative Phases of the Perioperative Cognitive Anesthesia Network for Older Adults Electing Surgery: Results From an Observational Cohort. Anesth Analg. Published 6 March 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →