Anesthesia and cognitive disorders: a systematic review of the clinical evidence

Introduction: Preclinical and clinical evidence suggest an association between anesthesia and cognitive disorders ranging from postoperative chronic dysfunction to Alzheimer's disease. Recent clinical insights are summarized in this paper.Areas covered: This systematic review was conducted and written in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement and was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Review database. A literature search of PubMed, EMBASE and SCOPUS was accomplished according to a written protocol that included: clinical trials on humans, articles in English, papers published between April 2010 and February 2016 and complete studies.Expert commentary: There is a growing interest in establishing the possible relationship between anesthesia and the onset and progression of cognitive disorders. Further studies are required to determine the methods of monitoring anesthesia in older adults with dementia undergoing surgical procedures.