2017 Volume 37 Issue 5 Pages 630-636
Growth in the elderly population has increased the number of geriatric patients undergoing surgical operations under anesthesia. Consequently, postoperative delirium（POD）and postoperative cognitive dysfunction（POCD） have become a common problem in elderly patients. Both POD and POCD have been shown to be associated with long-term disability and higher health care costs. Currently, however, there are few recognized intervention strategies for preventing POD/POCD. Although its pathogenesis involves various factors, accumulating evidence suggests that neuroinflammation plays a key role in the development of POD/POCD. Therefore, surgery-induced neuroinflammation processes including the microglial activation pathways will be promising therapeutic targets. Specifically, our recent findings from preclinical research using aged animals show the benefits of adequate postoperative analgesia for the prevention of POD/POCD. In this review, we discuss the current overview and preclinical highlights regarding the contribution of pain in the development of POD/POCD.
