Effects of Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction after Spinal Anesthesia between Geriatric and Middle-Aged Patients

Objective: To compare the effects of Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction after spinal anesthesia between geriatric and middle-aged patients presenting for elective surgery. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Anesthesia Department of Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar Pakistan, from Jan to Jun 2022. Methodology: A total of 90 patients were included in the study divided into the geriatric group (Group-A, n=45) and the middle age group (Group-B, n=45) according to ages defined. Primary variables measured were Mini-Mental State Examination pre-operatively and 12 and 24 hours after surgery for cognitive impairment. Results: Mean age of patients was 64.56±3.85 years in the geriatric versus 38.11±3.62 years in the middle age group. The mean total MMSE score out of 30 was 24.36±1.5 in the geriatric versus 25.58±1.3 in the middle age group at the 12-hour interval (p<0.001). The score improved at the 24-hour interval but was still hampered in the geriatric Group more than the middle age group, 26.76±1.00 versus 27.36±0.74 (p<0.001). Conclusion: We conclude that neuraxial anesthesia is associated with deterioration in logical and analytical memory both in the middle age and geriatric age group with return to full neurological function early in the middle age group