Perioperative Cognitive Protection - Cognitive Exercise and Cognitive Reserve (The Neurobics Trial)

Study Summary

Many individuals experience an acute change in thinking and reasoning skills after surgery. This is called post-operative delirium (PD). PD symptoms typically start 1-3 days after surgery. Advanced age has been identified as a risk factor for PD. The purpose of this study is to determine if performing mental exercise, before surgery, will help reduce post-surgery memory and thinking problems. Assuming a 30% incidence of PD and proposed 50% reduction of PD in the intervention group (15% incidence), a total of 242 patients (1:1 ratio, 121 in each group) will achieve 80% power to detect 50% reduction using chi-square test at a 5% type I error rate. Assuming approximately 1/3 of consented patients either fail screening or do not complete the study after consent, we expect to consent 358 patients. At least 8 days before surgery, subjects complete a series of questionnaires to assess baseline cognition level (or thinking ability) and status of overall well-being. At the completion of the screening visit, qualifying subjects are randomized into two groups: Participants randomized into the Cognitive Exercise group are expected to complete tablet-based brain games provided by Lumosity. These subjects are given a handheld tablet for the duration of the preoperative period. Participants in this group are expected to complete a minimum of 10 hours within at least 8 days prior to surgery. Participants randomized into the Normal Activity group are encouraged to carry out their baseline daily activities, and do not have any study-related cognitive exercise expectations before surgery. These subjects still complete the same questionnaires and assessments as the Cognitive Exercise group throughout the study, however, are asked not to alter their normal daily routine of mental exertion (i.e. watching television, reading, puzzles, etc.) and are not permitted to subscribe to Lumosity while in the research study. On the day of surgery, a baseline delirium evaluation (CAM - Confusion

Primary Outcome

Assuming a 30% incidence of PD and proposed 50% reduction of PD in the intervention group (15% incidence), a total of 242 patients (1:1 ratio, 121 in each group) will achieve 80% power to detect 50% reduction using chi-square test at a 5% type I error rate. Assuming approximately 1/3 of consented patients either fail screening or do not complete the study after consent, we expect to consent 358 patients. The incidence of PD will be compared between the control group and the intervention group as

Interventions

• OTHER Mini-Mental State Examination
• OTHER Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination
• OTHER Geriatric Depression Scale
• OTHER Charlson Comorbidity Index
• OTHER Short Form 36 Health Survey