Use of Electrophysiological Markers to Predict Post-operative Cognitive Dysfunction

Sponsor
Rambam Health Care Campus (Other)
Overall Status
Recruiting
CT.gov ID
NCT04512989
Collaborator
(none)
100
1
51
2

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

As the population ages and medical progress is made, many elderly patients that previously would not have been candidates for surgery are now undergoing operations. In this group of older patients, brain dysfunction after anesthesia and surgery, naming post-operative cognitive dysfunction, is well known.

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a term used to describe subtle changes in cognition, such as memory and executive function. The most commonly seen problems are memory impairment and impaired performance on intellectual tasks. In severe cases, it can lead to inability to perform daily living functions. It was previously found that the presence of cognitive dysfunction 3 months after non-cardiac surgery was associated with increased mortality. The mechanisms leading to cognitive impairment after anesthesia and surgery are not yet fully clear. The risk factors are related to patient characteristics, type of operation and anesthetic management.

The investigators have recently shown that using different electrophysiological markers, they can monitor attention and perception which might be associated with brain frailty and brain injury.

The aims of this proof of concept study are: (i) to find-out whether attention processes might be in association with brain frailty. (ii) to find our whether brain injury which is expressed by interhemispheric synchronization is is associated with POCD; (iii) to find out whether the level of anesthesia, as measured electrophysiological by perception might be linked primary to POCD.

Condition or Disease Intervention/Treatment Phase
  • Diagnostic Test: Cognitive assesment using MOCA test

Detailed Description

As the population ages and medical progress is made, many elderly patients that previously would not have been candidates for surgery are now undergoing operations. In this group of older patients, brain dysfunction after anesthesia and surgery is well recognized, naming post-operative cognitive dysfunction.

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a term used to describe subtle changes in cognition, such as memory and executive function. The most commonly seen problems are memory impairment and impaired performance on intellectual tasks. In severe cases, it can lead to inability to perform daily living functions. The reported incidence figures for postoperative cognitive dysfunction vary depending on the group of patients studied, the definition of POCD used, the tests used to establish the diagnosis and their statistical evaluation, the timing of testing, and the choice of control group. The diagnosis of POCD relies on the availability of the neuropsychological tests. In a large prospective multicenter cohort study, it was found that the presence of cognitive dysfunction 3 months after noncardiac surgery was associated with an increased mortality. Furthermore, patients with cognitive decline at 1 week had an increased risk of leaving the labor market prematurely and a higher prevalence of time receiving social transfer payments. The mechanisms leading to cognitive impairment after anesthesia and surgery are not yet fully clear. The risk factors for developing POCD are related to patient characteristics, type of operation and anesthetic management.

Cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic, and renal insufficiency are all associated with impaired brain performance. It is theoretically obvious that an adequate intraoperative oxygen supply for all vital organs is essential if postoperative cerebral dysfunction is to be avoided. Casai et al found that brain desaturation (rSO2 decrease <75% of baseline) occurred in 40% of elderly patients after noncardiac surgery, and the cerebral desaturation was linked with a high incidence of POCD. A recent systematic review shows that reductions in cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) during cardiac surgery may indicate CPB cannula malposition, particularly during aortic surgery. However, only weak evidence links low rSO2 during cardiac surgery to POCD.

POCD is a well-recognized clinical phenomenon of multifactorial origin; emboli, hypoperfusion, inflammation, and patient's preoperative cerebral dysfunction. Meticulous surgical and anesthesiological techniques are important for preventing complications and keeping the risk of POCD to a minimum.

The EEG is an electrophysiological monitoring method used to record electrical activity of the brain, including normal and abnormal activity. In recent years, numerous clinical studies were performed to evaluate whether the use in intraoperative electroencephalography (EEG) to control the depth of anesthesia has any effect on POCD.

Recently it was confirmed that intraoperative neuro-monitoring for depth of anesthesia is associated with a lower incidence of delirium. However it is unrelated to the incidence of POCD. The most common available monitor for depth of anesthesia is the Bispectral index, developed more than 20 years ago. The device's output is based on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from the frontal lobe (monitors brain activity) in combination with electromyographic (EMG) waves (monitors muscle activity). The BIS produces a number ranging from 0 -100, which matches the patient's level of consciousness (awake, sedated or unconscious) under GA.

Despite its limitations, over-anesthesia as monitored by BIS, was at-least correlative with POD (but not with POCD). Therefore, it is hopeful that an even more precise evaluation of the level of anesthesia will improve POD prediction (and thereby prevention) even further. On the other hand the measure of depth of anesthesia by itself does not provide sufficient prediction for POCD.

The investigators have recently that brain injury is demonstrated by interhemispheric desynchronization, which is recognized by our new algorithm, which monitors electrophysiological markers of attention and of perception. This algorithm was based on a previous set of studies, which showed the ability to decompose the entire multi-electrode EEG/ ERP sample to a superposition of attention and perception processes, spread in space (over the scalp) and time (hundreds of milliseconds). Our algorithm is unique in the ability to extract the needed perceptual and attentional information indicating depth of anesthesia and hemispheric damage (manifested by interhemispheric desynchronization) in real time every 30 seconds and with a minimal electrodes' setup.

The aims of this proof of concept study are: (i) to find-out whether attention processes might be in association with brain frailty. (ii) to find our whether brain injury which is expressed by interhemispheric synchronization is is associated with POCD; (iii) to find out whether the level of anesthesia, as measured electrophysiological by perception might be linked primary to POCD.

Study Design

Study Type:
Observational
Anticipated Enrollment :
100 participants
Observational Model:
Cohort
Time Perspective:
Prospective
Official Title:
Assessing Brain Frailty; The Association Between Pre, Intra and Post-operative Electrophysiological Markers and Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction
Actual Study Start Date :
Oct 1, 2020
Anticipated Primary Completion Date :
Dec 31, 2023
Anticipated Study Completion Date :
Dec 31, 2024

Arms and Interventions

Arm Intervention/Treatment
Patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Diagnostic Test: Cognitive assesment using MOCA test
Cognitive assesment using MOCA test

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

  1. Correlation of Post Operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) to intra operative EEG changes [The diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction is assessed post operative on day 7 and compared to baseline pre surgery cognitive function]

    Correlation of post operative cognitive dysfunction as measured by cognitive tests (such as MOCA test) to changes in EEG pattern

  2. Correlation of 45 days POCD to intra operative EEG changes [The diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction is assessed post operative on day 45 and is compared to baseline pre surgery cognitive function]

    Correlation of 45 days POCD, as measured with MOCA test, to intra operative changes in EEG pattern

  3. Assesing btain frailty [The diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction is assessed post operative on day 7 and day 45 and is compared to baseline pre surgery cognitive function]

    Correlation of success in pre operative cognitive tests, as measured by MOCA test, to post operative cognitive dysfunction (as measured again by MOCA test)

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:
18 Years and Older
Sexes Eligible for Study:
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Yes
Inclusion Criteria:
  • Patients 18 years and older undergoing elective cardiac surgery (CABG or valve replacement).
Exclusion Criteria:
  1. inability or refusal to provide informed consent,

  2. significant visual impairment so that the pictures of the cognitive tests could not be interpreted accurately.

  3. profound dementia or aphasia that interfered with the cognitive assessment.

  4. inability to speak Hebrew/ Russian or Arabic so that a language barrier was not confused with postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

  5. . Any previously documented major neurologic or psychiatric dysfunction

Contacts and Locations

Locations

Site City State Country Postal Code
1 Rambam Health Care Campus Haifa Israel

Sponsors and Collaborators

  • Rambam Health Care Campus

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Dana Baron Shahaf, Rambam Health Care Campus

Study Documents (Full-Text)

None provided.

More Information

Publications

Responsible Party:
Rambam Health Care Campus
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT04512989
Other Study ID Numbers:
  • 542-20
First Posted:
Aug 14, 2020
Last Update Posted:
Dec 27, 2021
Last Verified:
Dec 1, 2021
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
No
Plan to Share IPD:
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
No
Keywords provided by Rambam Health Care Campus
Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Study Results

No Results Posted as of Dec 27, 2021