Mechanisms of postoperative cognitive dysfunction and strategies for prevention

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K10538
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Anesthesiology
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Kawano Takashi 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系臨床医学部門, 准教授 (40380076)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 横山 正尚 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系臨床医学部門, 教授 (20158380)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 術後認知機能障害 / ミクログリア / 脳内神経炎症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Geriatric surgical patients are known to be susceptible to cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Recent preclinical evidence indicate that sugary-induced neuroinflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of POCD. In this project, we investigated the effect of preoperative cognitive intervention on the development of POCD in aged rats. In an in vivo setting, the aged, but not young, rats in the sedentary group developed cognitive impairment and related hippocampal neuroinflammation following abdominal surgery. Especially, it could be avoided by preoperative cognitive intervention. In the ex vivo experiment showed that the release of proinflammatory cytokines was higher in microglia isolated from aged hippocampi compared with young hippocampi. However, preoperative cognitive intervention could reduce this exaggerated cytokine response. Our findings suggest that preoperative cognitive intervention could prevent POCD via reversion of the age-related microglial phenotype in the hippocampus.

Free Research Field

麻酔科学