Postoperative cognitive dysfunction in premenopausal versus postmenopausal women

Abstract

Purpose: The study examined postoperative cognitive dysfunction in premenopausal and postmenopausal women undergoing surgery with general anesthesia.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study enrolled 30 premenopausal and 28 postmenopausal patients (age 40–60 years) who did not receive hormone replacement therapy, hysterectomy, or oophorectomy. Patients with no menstrual periods for at least 1 year were defined as postmenopausal. The Tablet-based Symbol Digit Modalities Test (T-SDMT) and the Computerized-Digit Vigilance Test (C-DVT) were conducted prior to surgery and on postoperative days (POD) 1 and 7.

Results: Postmenopausal patients had a significantly higher T-SDMT reaction time than premenopausal patients preoperatively and on POD 7. Menopausal groups differed in T-SDMT and C-DVT scores preoperatively and postoperatively, but the difference was no longer significant after adjustment for age. Postmenopausal patients had a significantly higher C-DVT hit-reaction time than premenopausal patients on POD 1 and POD 7. On POD 7, 0% of premenopausal and 10.7% of postmenopausal patients had a worse T-SDMT hit-reaction time than at baseline. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that baseline T-SDMT was significantly correlated with age and postmenopausal years; C-DVT was correlated with menopausal duration.

Conclusions: By POD 7, menopause status has no noticeable effect on cognitive function in middle-aged women undergoing general surgery.

摘要

目的：本研究调查了接受全身麻醉手术的绝经前和绝经后妇女的术后认知功能障碍。

方法：这项横断面观察性研究纳入了30名绝经前患者和28名绝经后患者(年龄40-60岁), 她们没有接受激素替代治疗、子宫切除术或卵巢切除术。没有月经至少1年的患者被定义为绝经后的患者。术前、术后第1、7天分别进行基于表格的符号数字模式测试(T-SDMT)和计算机数字警戒测试(CDVT)。

结果：绝经后患者术前及术后第7天T-SDMT反应时间明显高于绝经前患者。绝经组的术前、术后T-SDMT和C-DVT评分差异有统计学意义, 但经年龄调整后差异不再显著。绝经后患者术后第1天和第7天的C-DVT撞击反应时显著高于绝经前患者。术后第7天, 0%的绝经前患者和10.7%的绝经后患者的T-SDMT撞击反应时间比基线时差。Pearson相关分析显示, 基线T-SDMT与年龄、绝经年限显著相关, C-DVT与绝经年限相关。

结论：到术后第7天, 绝经状态对接收普通外科手术的中年妇女的认知功能没有显著影响。

Keywords:

• Cognitive function
• estrogen
• hormone therapy
• menopause
• postoperative cognitive dysfunction

Potential conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Source of funding

Nil.