Brain waves during surgery may reveal dementia risk in seniors

NCT ID NCT04189861

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looked at whether monitoring brain waves during general anesthesia can help predict if older adults (over 60) will experience memory or thinking problems after surgery. Researchers tracked 31 patients having elective, non-cardiac surgery and compared their brain activity to cognitive changes three months later. The goal is to find early warning signs of postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to

If successful, this could lead to a way to predict which older adults are at risk for memory or thinking problems after surgery.

What could go wrong

This is a small, completed study with only 31 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It is observational and does not test a treatment.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Postoperative Cognitive Complications

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

    Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, United States