Cognitive Dysfunction Following Cardiac Surgery (CDCS)

May 7, 2016 updated by: Sandro Glumac, Clinical Hospital Center, Split

The Role of Inflammatory and Stress Response in the Pathogenesis of Cognitive Dysfunction After Cardiac Surgery

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is the most common complication after cardiac surgery. This prospective study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms of development of POCD following cardiac surgery taking into account surgical technique (with use or no use of extracorporeal circulation). The investigators focused on the role of inflammatory and stress response to surgical procedure as potential factors involved in the pathogenesis of cognitive dysfunction. Systematic inflammatory response in patients undergoing on-pump or off-pump surgery was analyzed by measuring serum levels of C reactive protein (CRP) and occurrence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Stress response to surgery was evaluated following cortisol levels and its daily variations. The degree of cognitive dysfunction was assessed based on serum levels of S100β. The effect of dexamethasone on the levels of stress and inflammatory response biomarkers, serum levels of S100β, as well as on the development of POCD was compared with control group that received normal saline.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This is a prospective, randomized, double blind, controlled trial. Following detailed past medical history assessment, two days before the surgical procedure neurocognitive function tests, depression and anxiety tests were carried out to assess the participants. Neurocognitive and anxiety tests were repeated on the 6th day after surgical procedure. A battery of tests lasting approximately 40 minutes were administered by a trained neuropsychologist from the Clinical Hospital Center, Split in a standardized fashion, at the same time of the day (10:00 AM) and in the same room at the Cardiac surgery ward. The investigators used a validated battery of tests which enabled the assessment of psychomotor speed, visual-motor coordination, concentration, attention, short-term memory and aspects of executive functioning. The evaluation was based on the following tests: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS I & II), Trail Making Test (TMT A & B), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) and PsychE computer test. All of the tests except TMT A & B have alternate forms. Croatian versions of Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI II) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-M) were used for preoperative depression and trait and state anxiety assessment, respectively.

One day before the surgery (08:00 AM) blood samples were collected for determination of levels of S100β protein, cortisol and other routine laboratory parameters (white blood cell count (WBC), hematocrit, creatinine, glucose, albumin, sodium, potassium, C reactive protein (CRP), Troponin I hs).

Participants were randomized into two groups to receive either intravenous dexamethasone 0.1 mg/kg or the same volume of normal saline i.v. 10 hours before the surgery. Random sequence generator was used to determine participant allocation.

Anesthesia in all patients was based on fentanyl, midazolam, vecuronium and sevoflurane. The depth of anesthesia was monitored using bispectral index (BIS). During cardiopulmonary bypass alpha-stat technique was used with the maintenance of normothermia (35.5-36.5°C) or spontaneous hypothermia (up to 32°C). With the off-pump technique, the core temperature was maintained between 36 and 37°C. Surgical technique was standardized. Routine hemodynamic monitoring was performed throughout the surgery and continued on the first postoperative day. Plasma levels of S100β protein were determined 6 h and 30 h following the end of on-pump surgery, and 3 h following the end of off-pump surgery. C reactive protein levels and other routine laboratory parameters were measured from blood samples collected 1 h, 4 h and 12 h postoperatively. On the first postoperative day blood samples were collected at 08:00 AM to determine cortisol levels, C reactive protein and other routine laboratory parameters, and cortisol was also measured on the same day at 04:00 PM, and 12:00 AM. C reactive protein and other routine laboratory parameters were repeatedly measured at 08:00 AM on the following postoperative days, except for cortisol levels which were measured on postoperative days 3 and 5. Registered nurse carried out the standardized test (Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS) scale) to assess the patients for the development of postoperative delirium from second to fifth postoperative day (at 07:00 AM, 02:00 PM and 10:00 PM).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

171

Phase

  • Phase 4

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years to 85 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participants undergoing cardiac surgery: coronary artery bypass grafting, heart valve surgery or a combined procedure,
  • Procedure must be elective

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Symptomatic cerebrovascular disease,
  • Cerebrovascular incident in last 3 years,
  • Neurodegenerative disease,
  • Psychiatric disease,
  • Visual, hearing or motor impairment interfering with cognitive testing,
  • Carotid artery stenosis ( ≥50%),
  • Myocardial infarction within last 3 months,
  • Left ventricular ejection fraction of ≤35%,
  • Previous cardiac or carotid surgery,
  • Uncontrolled systemic hypertension (blood pressure≥180/110 mmHg),
  • Corticosteroid-dependent asthma,
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
  • Malignancy, liver disease (aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) or bilirubin ˃1.5x above reference range),
  • Kidney disease (serum creatinine ˃1.7 mg/dl or blood urea nitrogen ˃50 mg/dL),
  • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (postprandial glucose ˃200 mg/dL or hemoglobin A1c ˃9%),
  • Endocrine and metabolic diseases, requiring steroid treatment longer than 7 days in the past year,
  • Alcohol or controlled substance abuse,
  • Individuals without primary school education,
  • Preoperative C reactive protein ˃0.5 mg/dL,
  • Preoperative white blood cell count <3 x109/L or ˃11 x109/L,
  • Preoperative Mini mental score <26 points,
  • Preoperative Beck's depression inventory score ˃ 19 points,
  • Intraoperative plan change (conversion from "off-pump" to "on-pump" and vice versa),
  • Need for deep hypothermic circulatory arrest,
  • Additional corticosteroid treatment throughout the study period.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: TRIPLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Dexamethasone
Dexamethasone dose of 0.1 mg/kg was administered intravenously 10h before surgery
Drug: Dexamethasone
Intravenous dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg) was administered 10 hours before surgery.
Other Names:
  • Dexasone
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Control
Equal volume of normal saline (placebo) was administered intravenously 10h before surgery
Other: Placebo
Normal saline (placebo) in the equal volume as active treatment was administered 10 hours before surgery.
Other Names:
  • Inactive substance

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in occurrence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction between control and intervention group at six days after surgery as determined by using a validated battery of cognitive tests
Time Frame: 9 days
Difference in occurrence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction between control and intervention group at sixth postoperative day as determined by using a validated battery of cognitive tests that assess global cognitive function, psychomotor speed, visual-motor coordination, concentration, attention, short-term memory, learning curve and aspects of executive functioning. Time points of assessment are two days before surgery and six days after surgery in both study arms.
9 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in serum levels of S100β protein from baseline to first postoperative day
Time Frame: 3 days
Serum levels of S100β protein were determined the day before surgery at 08:00 AM; 6 h and 30 h following the end of on-pump surgery; and 3 h following the end of off-pump surgery.
3 days
Difference in S100β serum protein levels between control and intervention group on the day of surgery and first postoperative day
Time Frame: 7 days
7 days
Change in serum cortisol levels from baseline to fifth postoperative day
Time Frame: 7 days
Cortisol levels were determined on the day before surgery at 08:00 AM; on the first postoperative day at 08:00 AM, 04:00 PM, and 12:00 AM; and at 08:00 AM on the third and fifth postoperative days.
7 days
Difference in serum cortisol levels between control and intervention group on the first, third and fifth postoperative days
Time Frame: 7 days
7 days
Change in serum C reactive protein levels from baseline to fifth postoperative day
Time Frame: 7 days
Baseline CRP levels were determined on the day before surgery at 08:00 AM, 1 h, 4 h and 12 h postoperatively; and at 08:00 AM from the first until fifth postoperative day.
7 days
Difference in serum C reactive protein levels between control and intervention group on the day of surgery until the fifth postoperative day
Time Frame: 7 days
7 days
Difference in occurrence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome between control and intervention group within 48 h after surgery as determined by measuring body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and white blood cell count.
Time Frame: 48 hours
48 hours
Difference in occurrence of postoperative delirium between control and intervention group as determined from second until sixth postoperative day by using Delirium Observation Screening Scale
Time Frame: 5 days
5 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Clinical Hospital Center, Split

Investigators

  • Study Director: Nenad Karanovic, MD, PhD, Clinical Hospital Center, Split

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

March 1, 2015

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

January 1, 2016

Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)

December 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 2, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 7, 2016

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

May 10, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

May 10, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 7, 2016

Last Verified

May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • SPLIT1984

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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