Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review

Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD) is characterized by a deterioration in cognitive performance after surgery and is increasingly addressed in research studies. However, a uniform definition of POCD seems to be lacking, which is a major threat to clinical research in this area. We performed...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kim van Sinderen, Lothar A. Schwarte, Patrick Schober
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Anesthesiology Research and Practice
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7384394
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850220160904855552
author Kim van Sinderen
Lothar A. Schwarte
Patrick Schober
author_facet Kim van Sinderen
Lothar A. Schwarte
Patrick Schober
author_sort Kim van Sinderen
collection DOAJ
description Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD) is characterized by a deterioration in cognitive performance after surgery and is increasingly addressed in research studies. However, a uniform definition of POCD seems to be lacking, which is a major threat to clinical research in this area. We performed a focused systematic review to determine the current degree of heterogeneity in how POCD is defined across studies and to identify those diagnostic criteria that are used most commonly. The search identified 173 records, of which 30 were included. Neurocognitive testing was most commonly performed shortly before surgery and at 7 days postoperatively. A variety of neurocognitive tests were used to test a range of cognitive domains, including complex attention, language, executive functioning, perceptual-motor function, and learning and memory. The tests that were used most commonly were the Mini-Mental State Examination, the digit span test, the trail making test part A, and the digit symbol substitution test, but consensus on which test result would be considered “positive” for POCD was sparse. The results of this systematic review suggest the lack of a consistent approach towards defining POCD. However, commonalities were identified which may serve as a common denominator for deriving consensus-based diagnostic guidelines for POCD.
format Article
id doaj-art-77e533ff9f5d4e2388ddd22a32c233d2
institution OA Journals
issn 1687-6962
1687-6970
language English
publishDate 2020-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Anesthesiology Research and Practice
spelling doaj-art-77e533ff9f5d4e2388ddd22a32c233d22025-08-20T02:07:09ZengWileyAnesthesiology Research and Practice1687-69621687-69702020-01-01202010.1155/2020/73843947384394Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic ReviewKim van Sinderen0Lothar A. Schwarte1Patrick Schober2Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsPostoperative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD) is characterized by a deterioration in cognitive performance after surgery and is increasingly addressed in research studies. However, a uniform definition of POCD seems to be lacking, which is a major threat to clinical research in this area. We performed a focused systematic review to determine the current degree of heterogeneity in how POCD is defined across studies and to identify those diagnostic criteria that are used most commonly. The search identified 173 records, of which 30 were included. Neurocognitive testing was most commonly performed shortly before surgery and at 7 days postoperatively. A variety of neurocognitive tests were used to test a range of cognitive domains, including complex attention, language, executive functioning, perceptual-motor function, and learning and memory. The tests that were used most commonly were the Mini-Mental State Examination, the digit span test, the trail making test part A, and the digit symbol substitution test, but consensus on which test result would be considered “positive” for POCD was sparse. The results of this systematic review suggest the lack of a consistent approach towards defining POCD. However, commonalities were identified which may serve as a common denominator for deriving consensus-based diagnostic guidelines for POCD.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7384394
spellingShingle Kim van Sinderen
Lothar A. Schwarte
Patrick Schober
Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review
Anesthesiology Research and Practice
title Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review
title_full Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review
title_fullStr Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review
title_short Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review
title_sort diagnostic criteria of postoperative cognitive dysfunction a focused systematic review
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7384394
work_keys_str_mv AT kimvansinderen diagnosticcriteriaofpostoperativecognitivedysfunctionafocusedsystematicreview
AT lotharaschwarte diagnosticcriteriaofpostoperativecognitivedysfunctionafocusedsystematicreview
AT patrickschober diagnosticcriteriaofpostoperativecognitivedysfunctionafocusedsystematicreview