Dynamic cerebral autoregulation: A marker of post-operative delirium?

Abstract Objective We investigated the potential association of cerebral autoregulation (CA) with postoperative delirium (PD), a common complication of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods In patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with CPB, cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) and blood pressure (BP) were continuously recorded during 5-min preoperatively (T1), after 24 h (T2), and 7 days after procedure (T3). Prospective multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors of PD. Autoregulation index (ARI) was calculated from the CBFV response to a step change in BP derived by transfer function analysis. Results In 67 patients, mean age 64.3 ± 9.5 years, CA was depressed at T2 as shown by values of ARI (3.9 ± 1.7), compared to T1 (5.6 ± 1.7) and T3 (5.5 ± 1.8) (p  Conclusion Dynamic CA was impaired after CABG surgery with CPB and was a significant independent risk factor of PD. Significance Assessment of CA before and after surgery could have considerable potential for early identification of patients at risk of PD, thus reducing poor outcomes and length of stay. Clinical trials registration : www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02143544, April 30, 2014).