EEG Biomarkers can predict Risk for postoperative Delirium

Up to 50% of elderly patients develop postoperative delirium (POD) after surgery. POD has long been underdiagnosed. However, the entity is of growing importance in the current socio-demographic context as it is also associated with increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization and long-term cognitive decline. The pathophysiology behind POD is complex but rests on 2 central pillars: the vulnerability of older patients and the toxicity associated with general anesthesia and surgical procedures. With increasing age, there is a continuous decline in physiological reserve, leading to frailty. The inflammatory, metabolic, endocrine and general systemic stress associated with anesthesia and surgery overwhelms the brain's available homeostasis reserves, which can lead to the development of POD.