Zinc and Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction

Summary

Participation Requirements

Description

Healthy older adults under-going elective surgery (knee replacement, hip replacement or colorectal surgery) will be recruited via the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Participants will be aged 60 years and above, will have the capacity to give fully informed consent and will be undergoing elective orthopae...

Healthy older adults under-going elective surgery (knee replacement, hip replacement or colorectal surgery) will be recruited via the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Participants will be aged 60 years and above, will have the capacity to give fully informed consent and will be undergoing elective orthopaedic or colorectal surgery. Participation will involve testing on 3 occasions: 48hours-3 weeks prior to surgery (in the participant's home), 1-3 days post-surgery (in the Royal Berkshire Hospital) and approximately one month post-surgery (in the participant's home). On each occasion, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) will be administered along with various cognitive tests measuring executive function (Trials A & B, Stroop, Letter memory task, verbal fluency) and memory (the episodic memory tests of free recall and recognition from the CERAD: Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease neuropsychological test battery), as well as completion of questionnaires to determine mood (the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale [PANAS]) and sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). The cognitive testing should take approximately 30-40 minutes. At the first session (pre-operation) only, dietary information will also be collected via a food frequency questionnaire, as well as measures of fluid and crystallised intelligence (the National Adult Reading Test and Block Design from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised respectively). In addition, at each visit, a blood sample (maximum volume of 9mL, less than one tablespoon) will be taken from the participants for analysis of zinc concentration and markers of POCD and inflammation.

Tracking Information