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Dexmedetomidine-esketamine and tDCS for Prevention of Neurocognitive Complications After Surgery

7 de mayo de 2026 actualizado por: Dong-Xin Wang, Peking University First Hospital

Perioperative Use of Dexmedetomidine-esketamine Combination and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Prevention of Neurocognitive Complications in Older Patients After Non-cardiac Surgery: a 2×2 Factorial Trial

Neurocognitive complications, mainly delirium and neurocognitive disorders, are common cerebral complications in older patients after surgery and associated with worse outcomes. In previous studies, perioperative use of dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination improved analgesia and sleep quality after surgery. Perioperative use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) also improved sleep quality and reduced delirium occurrence early after surgery. This 2×2 factorial trial is designed to investigate the effects of perioperative dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination and tDCS on early postoperative neurocognitive recovery and delirium occurrence in older patients.

Descripción general del estudio

Estado

Aún no reclutando

Condiciones

Intervención / Tratamiento

Descripción detallada

Alone with aging population, the number of older patients undergoing surgery is also increasing. Neurocognitive complications, mainly delirium and neurocognitive disorders, are common cerebral complications in older patients after surgery and associated with worse outcomes. Risk factors of postoperative neurocognitive complications are multifactorial and include predisposing and precipitating factors. Of these, older age and pre-existing cognitive decline are important predisposing factors; surgical trauma, postoperative pain, and postoperative sleep disturbances are important precipitating factors.

Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonist with sedative, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects. Perioperative use of dexmedetomidine improves analgesia and sleep quality after surgery, an relieves surgery-related stress response and inflammation. Accumulating evidence showed that perioperative dexmedetomidine decreased early postoperative delirium and delayed neurocognitive recovery in older patients. The effect of perioperative dexmedetomidine is dose-dependent; however, routine dose dexmedetomidine increases bradycardia and hypotension which are potentially harmful to older patients.

Ketamine is a noncompetitive N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist and has been used as an anesthetic and analgesic for decades. Esketamine is the S-enantiomer of ketamine and twice as potent as racemic ketamine. Recent studies found that subanesthetic dose of ketamine or esketamine is effective in improving analgesia and sleep quality and relieving depression; it also attenuated surgery-related stress response. However, even subanesthetic ketamine or esketamine increases neuropsychiatric side effects and is not recommended to be used alone for analgesia and sedation.

In clinical practice, the sedative effect of exmedetomidine is used to relieve the neuropsychiatric side effects of ketamine/esketamine, and the sympathomimetic effect of ketamine/esketamine can be used to counteract the sympatholytic effect of dexmedetomidine. Combination of dexmedetomidine and esketamine has been used for premedication in children and postoperative analgesia in adults and showed additive or synergistic effects. The investigators hypothesize that perioperative combined use of low dose dexmedetomidine and esketamine may be more effective in preventing postoperative delirium and delayed neurocognitive recovery in older patients.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique and increasingly used for treatment of various neurological diseases such as neurodevelopmental disorders and post-stroke dysphagia. Preliminary studies in the perioperative settings showed that perioperative use of tDCS improved sleep quality and reduced delirium occurrence early after surgery. The investigators hypothesize that perioperative use of tDCS may help reduce early postoperative delayed neurocognitive recovery in older patients.

This 2×2 factorial trial is designed to investigate the effects of perioperative dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination and tDCS on early postoperative neurocognitive recovery and delirium occurrence in older patients.

Tipo de estudio

Intervencionista

Inscripción (Estimado)

1160

Fase

  • Fase 4

Contactos y Ubicaciones

Esta sección proporciona los datos de contacto de quienes realizan el estudio e información sobre dónde se lleva a cabo este estudio.

Estudio Contacto

Copia de seguridad de contactos de estudio

  • Nombre: Zhen-Zhen Xu, MD
  • Número de teléfono: 86 10 83572460
  • Correo electrónico: zjxvzhenzhen@126.com

Ubicaciones de estudio

    • Beijing Municipality
      • Beijing, Beijing Municipality, Porcelana, 100034
        • Peking University First Hospital
        • Contacto:
        • Contacto:
    • Fujian
      • Fuzhou, Fujian, Porcelana, 362011
        • Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
        • Contacto:
    • Guangdong
      • Shenzhen, Guangdong, Porcelana, 518036
        • Peking University Shenzhen Hospital
        • Contacto:
    • Shaanxi
      • Xi'an, Shaanxi, Porcelana, 710032
        • Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University
        • Contacto:
    • Zhejiang
      • Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Porcelana, 310006
        • First Affilited Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
        • Contacto:
      • Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Porcelana, 310009
        • Second Affilited Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
        • Contacto:

Criterios de participación

Los investigadores buscan personas que se ajusten a una determinada descripción, denominada criterio de elegibilidad. Algunos ejemplos de estos criterios son el estado de salud general de una persona o tratamientos previos.

Criterio de elegibilidad

Edades elegibles para estudiar

  • Adulto Mayor

Acepta Voluntarios Saludables

Sí

Descripción

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 65 to 90 years;
  • Preoperative Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score < 27 points, indicating possible cognitive impairment ranging from mild to moderate;
  • Scheduled to undergo elective non-cardiac, non-neurosurgical surgery under general anesthesia, with an expected surgical duration > 1 hour;
  • Required patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Preoperative inability to communicate due to coma, severe dementia, end-stage disease, or language impairment;
  • History of schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, brain trauma/surgery, or myasthenia gravis;
  • Presence of metal implants in the intracranial or cervical region (such as cochlear implants, aneurysm clips, deep brain stimulation electrodes), or skin damage or severe skin disease on the head;
  • Severe cardiac dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction < 30%), comorbid with sick sinus syndrome, severe bradycardia (heart rate < 50 bpm), or second-degree or higher atrioventricular block, or implantation of a cardiac pacemaker;
  • Uncontrolled hyperthyroidism or pheochromocytoma;
  • Severe liver dysfunction (Child-Pugh class C), severe renal dysfunction (requiring dialysis), or ASA classification ≥ IV;
  • Allergy to dexmedetomidine or esketamine;
  • Participation in other clinical studies within the past 3 months;
  • Other conditions that are deemed unsuitable for study participation.

Plan de estudios

Esta sección proporciona detalles del plan de estudio, incluido cómo está diseñado el estudio y qué mide el estudio.

¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?

Detalles de diseño

  • Propósito principal: Prevención
  • Asignación: Aleatorizado
  • Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación factorial
  • Enmascaramiento: Cuadruplicar

Armas e Intervenciones

Grupo de participantes/brazo
Intervención / Tratamiento
Experimental: Dex-Esk + active tDCS
Participants will receive dexmedetomidine-esketamine (Dex-Esk) combination and active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be administered using a battery-powered stimulator. The anode will be positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, F3) and the cathode over the right supraorbital region (Fp2). The stimulation intensity will be set at 2.0 mA, featuring a 30-second linear ramp-up at the beginning and a 30-second ramp-down at the end of each session.

Each participant will receive a total of three 20-minute sessions of active tDCS. The first session will be provided at 40 minutes after extubation in the post-anesthesia care unit. Two other sessions will be provided on postoperative days 1 and 2 (between 10:00 and 12:00 am).

Otros nombres:
  • Active transcranial direct current stimulation

Dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination (1 μg/mL dexmedetomidine and 0.5 mg/mL esketamine) will be administered after anesthesia induction, firstly as a loading dose at a rate of [0.4 x body weight (kg)] mL/h for 30 minutes (0.2 μg/kg dexmedetomidine and 0.1 mg/kg esketamine), followed by a maintenance infusion at a rate of [0.1 x body weight (kg)] mL/h (0.1 μg/kg/h dexmedetomidine and 0.05 mg/kg/h esketamine) until one hour before the expected end of surgery.

Postoperative patient-controlled analgesia will be established with a 100 mL mixture (containing 1.0 μg/mL sufentanil, 1.25 μg/mL dexmedetomidine, and 0.25 mg/mL esketamine in normal saline), programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with an 8-minute lockout interval and an 1-mL/h background infusion, and provided for 48 hours (at least 24 hours).

Otros nombres:
  • Dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination
Experimental: Dex-Esk + sham tDCS
Participants will receive dexmedetomidine-esketamine (Dex-Esk) combination and sham (placebo) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be administered using a battery-powered stimulator. The anode will be positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, F3) and the cathode over the right supraorbital region (Fp2). To ensure blinding, the device will deliver a initial 30-second ramp-up to 2.0 mA followed immediately by a 30-second ramp-down to 0 mA. The device remains "ON" for the remaining 19 minutes with no effective current output, mimicking the peripheral scalp sensation without delivering cortical modulation.

Each participant will receive a total of three 20-minute sessions of sham tDCS. The first session will be provided at 40 minutes after extubation in the post-anesthesia care unit. Two other sessions will be provided on postoperative days 1 and 2 (between 10:00 and 12:00 am).

Otros nombres:
  • Estimulación transcraneal de corriente continua simulada

Dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination (1 μg/mL dexmedetomidine and 0.5 mg/mL esketamine) will be administered after anesthesia induction, firstly as a loading dose at a rate of [0.4 x body weight (kg)] mL/h for 30 minutes (0.2 μg/kg dexmedetomidine and 0.1 mg/kg esketamine), followed by a maintenance infusion at a rate of [0.1 x body weight (kg)] mL/h (0.1 μg/kg/h dexmedetomidine and 0.05 mg/kg/h esketamine) until one hour before the expected end of surgery.

Postoperative patient-controlled analgesia will be established with a 100 mL mixture (containing 1.0 μg/mL sufentanil, 1.25 μg/mL dexmedetomidine, and 0.25 mg/mL esketamine in normal saline), programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with an 8-minute lockout interval and an 1-mL/h background infusion, and provided for 48 hours (at least 24 hours).

Otros nombres:
  • Dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination
Experimental: Placebo + active tDCS
Participants will receive placebo (normal saline) and active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be administered using a battery-powered stimulator. The anode will be positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, F3) and the cathode over the right supraorbital region (Fp2). The stimulation intensity will be set at 2.0 mA, featuring a 30-second linear ramp-up at the beginning and a 30-second ramp-down at the end of each session.

Each participant will receive a total of three 20-minute sessions of active tDCS. The first session will be provided at 40 minutes after extubation in the post-anesthesia care unit. Two other sessions will be provided on postoperative days 1 and 2 (between 10:00 and 12:00 am).

Otros nombres:
  • Active transcranial direct current stimulation

Placebo (normal saline) will be administered after anesthesia induction, firstly as a loading dose at a rate of [0.4 x body weight (kg)] mL/h for 30 minutes, followed by a maintenance infusion at a rate of [0.1 x body weight (kg)] mL/h until one hour before the expected end of surgery.

Postoperative patient-controlled analgesia will be established with a 100 mL mixture (containing 1.0 μg/mL sufentanil in normal saline), programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with an 8-minute lockout interval and an 1-mL/h background infusion, and provided for 48 hours (at least 24 hours).

Otros nombres:
  • Solución salina normal
Comparador de placebos: Placebo + sham tDCS
Participants will receive placebo (normal saline) and sham (placebo) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be administered using a battery-powered stimulator. The anode will be positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, F3) and the cathode over the right supraorbital region (Fp2). To ensure blinding, the device will deliver a initial 30-second ramp-up to 2.0 mA followed immediately by a 30-second ramp-down to 0 mA. The device remains "ON" for the remaining 19 minutes with no effective current output, mimicking the peripheral scalp sensation without delivering cortical modulation.

Each participant will receive a total of three 20-minute sessions of sham tDCS. The first session will be provided at 40 minutes after extubation in the post-anesthesia care unit. Two other sessions will be provided on postoperative days 1 and 2 (between 10:00 and 12:00 am).

Otros nombres:
  • Estimulación transcraneal de corriente continua simulada

Placebo (normal saline) will be administered after anesthesia induction, firstly as a loading dose at a rate of [0.4 x body weight (kg)] mL/h for 30 minutes, followed by a maintenance infusion at a rate of [0.1 x body weight (kg)] mL/h until one hour before the expected end of surgery.

Postoperative patient-controlled analgesia will be established with a 100 mL mixture (containing 1.0 μg/mL sufentanil in normal saline), programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with an 8-minute lockout interval and an 1-mL/h background infusion, and provided for 48 hours (at least 24 hours).

Otros nombres:
  • Solución salina normal

¿Qué mide el estudio?

Medidas de resultado primarias

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR)
Periodo de tiempo: At 5 days after surgery or before hospital discharge

Cognitive function will be assessed at baseline and at 5 days after surgery (or before hospital discharge) using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function).

Delayed neurocognitive decline (dNCR) is defined as: a |Z| value of decline in MoCA score ≥1.96. Z value = [(change from baseline in MoCA score in a surgical patient - mean change from baseline in MoCA score in the non-surgical group)] / (standard deviation of change from baseline in MoCA score in the non-surgical group).

At 5 days after surgery or before hospital discharge

Medidas de resultado secundarias

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Incidence of postoperative delirium
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 4 days after surgery
Delirium will be assessed twice daily (8-10 am and 6-8 pm) using the 3-Dimensional Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) for patients without intubation or the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) for patients with intubation.
Up to 4 days after surgery
Incidence of postoperative neurocognitive disorders (pNCD)
Periodo de tiempo: At 30 days after surgery

Cognitive function will be assessed at baseline and at 30 days after surgery using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function).

Postoperative neurocognitive disorders (pNCD) is defined as: a |Z| value of decline in MoCA score ≥1.96. Z value = [(change from baseline in MoCA score in a surgical patient - mean change from baseline in MoCA score in the non-surgical group)] / (standard deviation of change from baseline in MoCA score in the non-surgical group).

At 30 days after surgery

Otras medidas de resultado

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Early postoperative pain intensity
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 4 days after surgery

Pain intensity will be assessed twice daily (8-10 am and 6-8 pm) both at rest and with movement (coughing or turning over) using an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS; scores range from 0 to 10 where 0=no pain and 10=the worst pain).

Pain intensity early after surgery will be summarized as the area under the curve (AUC) using the trapezoidal method.

Up to 4 days after surgery
Length of hospital stay (LOS) after surgery
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 30 days after surgery
From the day of surgery until the day of hospital discharge.
Up to 30 days after surgery
Incidence of postoperative complications within 30 days
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 30 days after surgery
Postoperative complications are defined as new-onset conditions that are deemed harmful and required therapeutic intervention, i.e., grade II or above on the Clavien-Dindo classification.
Up to 30 days after surgery
Subjective sleep quality at 30 days after surgery
Periodo de tiempo: At 30 days after surgery
Subjective sleep quality at 30 days will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality).
At 30 days after surgery
Early postoperative subjective sleep quality
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 4 nights after surgery

Subjective sleep quality will be assessed once daily (8-10 am) using an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS; scores range from 0 to 10 where 0=the best sleep and 10=the worst sleep.

Subjective sleep quality early after surgery will be summarized as the cumulative score of subjective sleep quality during the first 4 postoperative nights.

Up to 4 nights after surgery

Colaboradores e Investigadores

Aquí es donde encontrará personas y organizaciones involucradas en este estudio.

Patrocinador

Colaboradores

Investigadores

  • Investigador principal: Dong-Xin Wang, MD, PhD, Peking University First Hospital

Publicaciones y enlaces útiles

La persona responsable de ingresar información sobre el estudio proporciona voluntariamente estas publicaciones. Estos pueden ser sobre cualquier cosa relacionada con el estudio.

Publicaciones Generales

Fechas de registro del estudio

Estas fechas rastrean el progreso del registro del estudio y los envíos de resultados resumidos a ClinicalTrials.gov. Los registros del estudio y los resultados informados son revisados ​​por la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina (NLM) para asegurarse de que cumplan con los estándares de control de calidad específicos antes de publicarlos en el sitio web público.

Fechas importantes del estudio

Inicio del estudio (Estimado)

1 de junio de 2026

Finalización primaria (Estimado)

1 de junio de 2029

Finalización del estudio (Estimado)

1 de junio de 2030

Fechas de registro del estudio

Enviado por primera vez

2 de mayo de 2026

Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

3 de mayo de 2026

Publicado por primera vez (Actual)

8 de mayo de 2026

Actualizaciones de registros de estudio

Última actualización publicada (Actual)

12 de mayo de 2026

Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

7 de mayo de 2026

Última verificación

1 de mayo de 2026

Más información

Términos relacionados con este estudio

Otros números de identificación del estudio

  • 2026-1219
  • 82293644 (Otro número de subvención/financiamiento: National Natural Science Foundation of China)

Plan de datos de participantes individuales (IPD)

¿Planea compartir datos de participantes individuales (IPD)?

NO

Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio

Estudia un producto farmacéutico regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Estudia un producto de dispositivo regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Esta información se obtuvo directamente del sitio web clinicaltrials.gov sin cambios. Si tiene alguna solicitud para cambiar, eliminar o actualizar los detalles de su estudio, comuníquese con register@clinicaltrials.gov. Tan pronto como se implemente un cambio en clinicaltrials.gov, también se actualizará automáticamente en nuestro sitio web. .