Mild Cognitive Impairment Development not Linked to Surgical Anesthesia After Age 40: Study

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Researchers at Mayo Clinic noted that elderly adults aged 40 and above may experience delirium after undergoing procedure with anesthesia but it disperses after a few days.

"We looked at a group of patients who have been followed here in Olmsted County, where we have detailed information about their cognitive function as they age. The bottom line of our study is that we did not find an association between exposure to anesthesia for surgery and the development of mild cognitive impairment in these patients," said study author Dr. David Warner of Mayo Clinic in a press release.

For the study, researchers looked at more than 1,500 older men and at least 70 years old that are cognitively sound. The group underwent evaluations for MCI including testing and following up every 15 months. At least 30 percent of those in the study group that underwent procedure with anesthesia developed mild cognitive impairment. However, the mental impairment was not caused by the anesthesia.

Science World Report points out that while the MCI connection may not be found in adults aged 40 above, it could be a different thing for those 60 years old and above. The researchers point out those senior vascular surgery patients may be the most at risk because their condition may be the cause behind cognition issues.

The Mayo Clinic researchers are furthering their studies on a younger demographic, specifically children who have had procedures done that require anesthesia. Chicago Tribune reports that they are seeing some links between anesthesia and cognitive problems when they grow up, but further study needs to be done.

"That by no means is established yet. Right now it's just associations, and we and many other people are doing a lot of work to try to see if this really is a problem in children or not," said Dr. Warner. "It will require quite a bit more research to find out what is happening with the children, and if there is a problem, how we can best address it. But for the moment, there is little clinical evidence that anesthesia itself leads to cognitive decline in the elderly—although more research is needed."