Nerve stimulation may prevent cognitive collapse after surgery
Researchers propose using vagus nerve stimulation to prevent postoperative delirium, a common complication that accelerates dementia risk in older patients. The approach targets brain inflammation triggered by surgical stress—a finding that could reshape perioperative care protocols and reduce long-term disability costs for hospitals and insurers.
Originaltitel: Exploring vagus nerve stimulation in postoperative delirium and dementia
Microglial activation and neuroinflammation, important aspects of neurodegeneration and accumulation of amyloid-pathology, is often exacerbated by peripheral inflammation following surgical procedures. Subsequent postoperative delirium is a predictor for long-term cognitive decline and increased rick of Alzheimer’s Disease, and perioperative strategies to reduce inflammatory responses, may be a potential avenue to mitigate postoperative complications. In this issue of Bioelectronic Medicine, Song et al. utilize percutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (pVNS) as a potential novel avenue for the attenuation of neuroinflammation and postoperative cognitive decline, which we have discussed in this commentary.