Intranasal Dexmedetomidine-esketamine Combination and Postoperative Cognitive Recovery in Older Patients

October 29, 2026 updated by: Dong-Xin Wang, Peking University First Hospital

Impact of Intranasal Dexmedetomidine-esketamine Combination on Neurocognitive Recovery in Older Patients After Noncardiac Surgery: a Randomized, Double-blind, and Placebo-controlled Trial

Postoperative neurocognitive disorders, including postoperative delirium (POD) and delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR), are common in older patients undergoing surgery and are associated with worse outcomes. Intranasal dexmedetomidine, esketamine, and their combination have been used in clinical practice to improve sleep quality and analgesia. A preliminary study suggested lower rates of emergence delirium and POD/dNCR in older patients receiving perioperative intranasal dexmedetomidine-esketamine. This randomized controlled trial is designed to test the hypothesis that perioperative administration of an intranasal dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination improves neurocognitive recovery in older patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Postoperative neurocognitive disorders, including postoperative delirium (POD) and delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR), are common in older patients undergoing surgery and are associated with prolonged hospitalization, worse functional recovery, and increased mortality. Disturbed sleep is a modifiable contributor: perioperative sleep disruption may amplify neuroinflammation, pain, and opioid requirements, creating a feed-forward loop that promotes neurocognitive complications.

Dexmedetomidine, a highly selective α2-adrenergic agonist, mimics aspects of physiological non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Intranasal dexmedetomidine has been used to improve perioperative sleep in older patients. Esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine, provides analgesia and has rapid antidepressant effects. Intranasal esketamine is approved for treatment-resistant depression. Combined use of subanesthetic doses of esketamine and dexmedetomidine shows synergy in analgesia and anxiolysis, with fewer neuropsychiatric adverse effects.

Combining low doses of both agents for intranasal administration therefore targets several mechanisms implicated in POD and dNCR simultaneously (sleep restoration, analgesia, anxiolysis, and potentially reduced opioid consumption) via a noninvasive route feasible on surgical wards. A preliminary study suggested lower rates of emergence delirium and POD/dNCR in older patients receiving perioperative intranasal dexmedetomidine-esketamine.

This randomized controlled trial is designed to test the hypothesis that perioperative administration of an intranasal dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination improves neurocognitive recovery in older patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

732

Phase

  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
    • Beijing Municipality
      • Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China, 100034

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

65 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age ≥65 years.
  2. Scheduled to undergo noncardiac surgery under general anesthesia with an expected operative duration >1 hour.
  3. Planned hospital stay of at least 1 day.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Nasal disease precluding intranasal administration (e.g., rhinitis, nasal polyps, or nasal congestion of any cause).
  2. Pre-existing schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, or myasthenia gravis.
  3. Inability to communicate preoperatively due to coma, severe dementia, or language disorder.
  4. History of craniocerebral injury or neurosurgery.
  5. Pre-existing sleep-disordered breathing (diagnosed sleep apnea or high risk of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea on the STOP-Bang questionnaire).
  6. History of hyperthyroidism or pheochromocytoma.
  7. Preoperative LVEF <30%, sick sinus syndrome, severe sinus bradycardia (heart rate <50 beats/min), or second-degree or higher atrioventricular block without a pacemaker.
  8. Severe hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh class C), severe renal impairment requiring preoperative dialysis, or ASA physical status ≥IV.
  9. Planned postoperative ICU admission.
  10. Known allergy or hypersensitivity to dexmedetomidine and/or esketamine.
  11. Any other condition that, in the judgment of the investigator, makes the patient unsuitable for enrollment.

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 Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: DEX-ESK group

Participants in this group will receive intranasal administration of a dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination at bedtime (8-9 pm) three times: the night before surgery, the night of surgery, and the first postoperative night.
Drug: Intranasal dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination

Participants in this group will receive intranasal administration of a dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination at bedtime (8-9 pm) three times: the night before surgery, the night of surgery, and the first postoperative night.

Other Names:
  • DEX-ESK group
Placebo Comparator: Placebo group

Participants in this group will receive intranasal administration of placebo (0.9% saline) at bedtime (8-9 pm) three times: the night before surgery, the night of surgery, and the first postoperative night.
Drug: Intranasal placebo (0.9% saline)

Participants in this group will receive intranasal administration of placebo (0.9% saline) at bedtime (8-9 pm) three times: the night before surgery, the night of surgery, and the first postoperative night.

Other Names:
  • Placebo group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) on postoperative day 4.
Time Frame: Up to 4 days after surgery.

Cognitive function will be assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better function) before surgery and on postoperative day 4 or at hospital discharge, whichever occurs first. Delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) is defined as a decline from baseline of >1 SD in MoCA score.
Up to 4 days after surgery.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of postoperative delirium within 3 days after surgery.
Time Frame: Up to 3 days after surgery.

Delirium will be assessed twice daily during the first 3 postoperative days using the 3-minute Diagnostic Interview for Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) in non-intubated patients and the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) in intubated patients.
Up to 3 days after surgery.
Incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) on postoperative day 30.
Time Frame: At 30 days after surgery.

Cognitive function will be assessed with the Telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA; scores range from 0 to 22, with higher scores indicating better function) before surgery and on postoperative day 30. Delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) is defined as a decline from baseline of >1 SD in T-MoCA score.
At 30 days after surgery.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Peking University First Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Dong-Xin Wang, MD, PhD, Peking University First Hospital

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 (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 29, 2026

Last Verified

October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2026R0664

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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