Cognitive Changes After Major Joint Replacement - Full Trial (Cognigram 2)

Assessing Postoperative Cognitive Changes After Major Joint Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study

Patients assume that cognitive performance rapidly returns to baseline after anesthesia and surgery. Several studies have shown that one week after major non-cardiac surgery about 27% of patients have postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and 10% of patients at 3 months. Very few studies have assessed the incidence of POCD beyond 3 months. POCD significantly reduces quality of life. Identifying risk factors for POCD is important because it is associated with prolonged hospital stay, loss of independence, and premature retirement. There is an urgent need to measure and document the level of cognitive change associated with surgery with an easy to use tool, both prior to admission and after discharge. This information can be used to plan appropriate care paths and to identify or test the efficacy of potential new treatments to alter the negative trajectory.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Autoimmune Diseases; Inflammation; Delirium; Cognitive Impairment; Cognitive Change; Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction; Mild Cognitive Impairment; Cognitive Decline; Working Memory
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Cognitive Testing

Detailed Description

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is thought to affect a significant proportion of patients after major surgery (up to 10% at 3 months). This is potentially a major public health issue because patients with POCD have prolonged hospital admission, loss of independence and mortality. Undoubtedly, if POCD is as prevalent and devastating as has been previously reported, the decision to undergo elective surgery should be influenced by the risk of developing POCD. Given the scope of the issue, the deficiencies in the literature surrounding POCD are concerning. There are many methodological issues with previous studies and the diagnosis of POCD in the perioperative period.

It is imperative that the true natures of postoperative cognitive changes are elucidated so that preoperative risk stratification can be appropriately determined. This will lead to care pathways and interventions that can modify any possible downward changes thereby reducing the negative impact on patients and the health care system.

Main Study Hypothesis: The incidence of postoperative cognitive changes in the joint arthroplasty population is influenced by:

1. Occurrence of major acute postoperative complications (e.g., cardiac event, pulmonary embolus, renal failure, pneumonia, prosthetic joint infection)
2. Pre-existing mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
3. Post-operative delirium
4. Pre-existing comorbid conditions with inflammatory states such as auto-immune disorders, coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and auto-immune disorders

Study Objectives:

In patients undergoing primary total hip or knee arthroplasty the goals of this project are to:

1. Establish cognitive trajectories after major lower extremity joint arthroplasty and the incidence of both post-operative delirium and POCD
2. Test Main Study Hypothesis (see above)

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 505

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4N 3M5
      • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 50 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at the Holland Orthopedic and Arthritic Centre (HOAC) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients ≥ 50 years of age undergoing elective total hip or knee arthroplasty at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lack of informed consent
• Inability to comply with study procedures or follow-up visits
• Patients with diagnosed dementia or those being treated with donepezil (Aricept®)
• Patients with severe cognitive impairment defined as baseline with a CBB score of equal to or less than 80 in at least one of the 4 CBB domains
• Patients with uncontrolled psychiatric diagnoses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive mood disorder
• Patients undergoing a second joint replacement & previously enrolled in this study within the past 6 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of patients with Cognigram score decreasing by > 2 SDs from baseline at 4.5	Proportion of patients with Cognigram score decreasing by > 2 SDs from baseline at 4.5	4.5 months from baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of patients with Cognigram score decreasing between 1 and 2 standard deviations from baseline at 4.5 months	Proportion of patients with Cognigram score decreasing between 1 and 2 standard deviations from baseline at 4.5 months	4.5 months from baseline
Effect of pre-operative MCI on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	Effect of pre-operative MCI on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	4.5 months from baseline
Effect of pre-operative chronic inflammatory states on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	Effect of pre-operative chronic inflammatory states on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	4.5 months from baseline
Effect of postoperative delirium on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	Effect of postoperative delirium on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	4.5 months from baseline
Effect of postoperative complications on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	Effect of postoperative complications on postoperative cognitive changes at 4.5 months	4.5 months from baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Dr. Stephen Choi
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Stephen Choi, MD,FRCPC,MSc, Sunnybrook Research Institute

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Choi S, Avramescu S, Orser BA, Au S. Protocol for a prospective cohort study of assessing postoperative cognitive changes after total hip and knee arthroplasty in the Greater Toronto area. BMJ Open. 2019 Feb 24;9(2):e024259. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024259.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 8, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 9, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): May 10, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 5, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 3, 2025
• Last Verified: September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Immune System Diseases; Confusion; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Postoperative Cognitive Complications; Delirium; Cognitive Dysfunction; Inflammation; Autoimmune Diseases; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Psychological Tests; Neuropsychological Tests
• Other Study ID Numbers: 040-2017

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No