Perioperative cognitive changes in older adults undergoing major non‐cardiac surgery

Our findings indicate that postoperative cognitive decline is domain-specific, with memory function exhibiting the greatest vulnerability and possibly a slower recovery trajectory. These results suggest that assessing cognitive domains individually, rather than relying solely on total MOCA scores, may advance early detection of patients at risk for prolonged cognitive impairment. Follow-up studies are warranted to determine whether domain-specific cognitive assessments can serve as predictors of long-term cognitive decline, including postoperative delirium and dementia, ultimately guiding early interventions to improve patient outcomes. This research was supported by AACSF-23-1148490.