Heart surgery and the brain: new study seeks clues to Post-Op fog
NCT ID NCT07200726
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at why some older adults experience memory or thinking problems after heart surgery. Researchers will test 80 patients aged 60 and older with thinking assessments and blood tests before and after surgery. The goal is to find simple ways to detect these cognitive changes early and understand the role of brain inflammation.
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 study could identify simple tests or blood markers to detect cognitive problems after heart surgery, leading to earlier support for patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It aims to understand the problem, not solve it. Results may not lead to immediate changes in care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Since, compared to younger patients undergoing major surgery, elderly patients are more prone to develop PNCD and are at greater risk of morbidity, we will therefore include patients aged 60 years or older scheduled for cardiac surgery.
- Ages
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60 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * aged 60 years or older; * scheduled for cardiac surgery. Exclusion Criteria: * dementia, as diagnosed by a specialist, since this would make detection of PNCD impossible; * urgent, not elective surgery.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg
RECRUITINGGenk, Limburg, 3600, Belgium
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