Following surgery, some older adults — particularly those who are already living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia — don’t always recover — they unravel. The condition is known as postoperative delirium. While commonplace, there are no FDA-approved treatments to prevent delirium after surgery.
A recent study by the Duke University School of Medicine suggests stimulating a nerve that runs from the brain to nearly every organ in the body can help older patients recuperate more effectively.
Post-surgery delirium is typically seen as a temporary complication. “But for many patients, especially those with underlying neurodegeneration, (surgery) can permanently alter the trajectory of the disease,” said anesthesiology professor Niccolò Terrando, who co-authored the study with Warren Grill, professor of biomedical engineering.
Using mice, the team of researchers found that activating the nerve highway linking the brain, immune system and internal organs reduced brain inflammation and disruptions in attention and awareness following surgery. The technique is called percutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, or pVNS.
Clinical trials in surgical patients are underway.
