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Efforts to conceptualize risk factors for postoperative delirium in older adults have focused on the time proximate to the episode, but how early-life exposures influence delirium risk is poorly understood. An observational cohort of 547 patients aged 70+undergoing major non-cardiac surgery at two academic medical centers in Boston. Demographic characteristics, cognition, parental education, health, and participation in cognitively stimulating activities were assessed prior to surgery. Delirium incidence and severity were measured daily during hospitalization. Higher paternal education was associated with significantly lower incidence of delirium (X2(1, N =547)=8.35, p <.001; odds ratio OR=.93, 95% CI,.87 to.98) and inversely associated with delirium severity (r(545)=−.13, p <.001). Higher maternal education was associated with lower delirium incidence but did not reach statistical significance. The effect of paternal education on delirium incidence was independent of the patient's education, estimated premorbid intelligence, medical comorbidities, neighborhood disadvantage, and participation in cognitively stimulating activities (X2(2, N =547)=31.22, p <.001). Examining early-life exposures may yield unique insights into the risks and pathogenesis of delirium. Evaluating long-term factors that increase vulnerability to delirium may improve our ability to calculate risk. It may guide clinical decision-making and inform pre- and post-operative recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Delirium is a common postoperative complication associated with prolonged length of stay, hospital readmission, and premature mortality. We explored the association between neighborhood‐level characteristics and delirium incidence and severity, and compared neighborhood‐ with individual‐level indicators of socioeconomic status in predicting delirium incidence. DESIGN: A prospective observational cohort of patients enrolled between June 18, 2010, and August 8, 2013. Baseline interviews were conducted before surgery, and delirium/delirium severity was evaluated daily during hospitalization. Research staff evaluating delirium were blinded to baseline cognitive status. SETTING: Two academic medical centers in Boston, MA. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 560 older adults, aged 70 years or older, undergoing major noncardiac surgery. INTERVENTION: The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was used to characterize each neighborhood's socioeconomic disadvantage. MEASUREMENTS: Delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) long form. Delirium severity was calculated using the highest value of CAM Severity score (CAM‐S) occurring during daily hospital assessments (CAM‐S Peak). RESULTS: Residing in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods (ADI > 44) was associated with a higher risk of incident delirium (12/26; 46%), compared with the least disadvantaged neighborhoods (122/534; 23%) (risk ratio (RR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 2.0 (1.3–3.1). The CAM‐S Peak score was significantly associated with ADI (Spearman rank correlation, ρ = 0.11; P =.009). Mean CAM‐S Peak scores generally rose from 3.7 to 5.3 across levels of increasing neighborhood disadvantage. The RR (95% CI) values associated with individual‐level markers of socioeconomic status and cultural background were: 1.2 (0.9–1.7) for education of 12 years or less; 1.3 (0.8–2.1) for non‐White race; and 1.7 (1.1–2.6) for annual household income of less than $20,000. None of these individual‐level markers exceeded the ADI in terms of effect size or significance for prediction of delirium risk. CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood‐level makers of social disadvantage are associated with delirium incidence and severity, and demonstrated an exposure‐response relationship. Future studies should consider contextual‐level metrics, such as the ADI, as risk markers of social disadvantage that can help to guide delirium treatment and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine baseline (preoperative) neuropsychological test performance in a cohort of elderly individuals undergoing elective surgery and the association between specific neuropsychological domains and postoperative delirium. Design Ongoing prospective cohort study. Setting Successful Aging after Elective Surgery Study. Participants Elderly adults (N = 300) scheduled for elective (noncardiac) surgery. Measurements Neuropsychological testing, including standardized assessments of memory, divided and sustained attention, speed of mental processing, verbal fluency, working memory, language, and an overall measure of premorbid cognitive functioning, was performed 2 to 4 weeks before surgery. The relationship between the individual neuropsychological tests and delirium status was examined using linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, and education. Results Study participants were generally highly educated (mean years of education 15.0 ± 2.9), with minimal or no cognitive impairment (mean Modified Mini-Mental State Examination score 93.2 out of 100). After adjustment, participants who developed postoperative delirium had performed significantly lower preoperatively on measures of speed of mental processing and divided attention (Trail-Making Test Part B, mean difference 17.55, P = .02), category fluency (animal naming, mean difference −1.94, P = .01), sustained visual attention (Visual Search and Attention, mean difference −3.19, P < .001), and working memory with new learning and recall (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised Total mean difference −0.53 to −0.79, P < .01). Conclusion Individuals who later develop delirium have lower scores on tests evaluating the areas of complex attention, executive functioning, and rapid access to verbal knowledge or semantic networks at baseline. Future studies to better understand how the cognitive profiles identified may predispose individuals to developing delirium may help pave the way to greater understanding of the mechanisms of delirium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]