The intravenous use of nalmefene has been found to exert neuroprotective effect in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and acute cerebral infarction; nonetheless, it is unknown whether nalmefene alleviates delayed neurocognitive recovery. Our purpose of the current research was to clarify the impact of nalmefene on delayed neurocognitive recovery in aged patients experiencing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) with intraoperative use of one lung ventilation (OLV). The present study involved 120 patients undergoing selective VATS, randomized to accept low-dose nalmefene (N1 group, n=40), high-dose nalmefene (N2 group, n=40) or equal volume of physiologic saline (control group, n=40). A battery of neuropsychological tests were used to estimate cognitive function 1 day before surgery (t0) and 10 days after surgery or before discharge (t1). Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) was detected 5 min before induction (t0), 5 min after induction (t1), 15 and 60 min after onset of OLV (t2 and t3), and 15 min after termination of OLV (t4). The plasma values of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and adiponectin (ADP) were also detected prior to induction of anesthesia (T0), 1 h, 2 h and 6 h after surgery (T1, T2, T3). On t1, delayed neurocognitive recovery occurred in 5/40 (12.5%) patients of N1 group, in 5/40 (12.5%) patients of N2 group and in 13/40 (32.5%) patients of control group (P0.05). There were no statistical differences in rSO2 among three groups at different time points. At T1, T2 and T3, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α values significantly increased and ADP value significantly decreased (P0.05) in control group. In contrast, at T1, T2 and T3, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α values decreased and ADP value decreased less in N1 and N2 groups (P0.05). At T1, T2 and T3, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations presented a trend of N2 group N1 group control group and ADP presented a trend of N2 groupN1 groupcontrol group (P0.05). The result of our present research supports the hypothesis that the perioperative intravenous treatment with nalmefene to VATS with OLV ameliorates postoperative cognitive function and decreases the incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery, most likely by suppression of inflammatory responses.
Keywords: delayed neurocognitive recovery; elderly patients; nalmefene; one lung ventilation; perioperative neurocognitive disorders; thoracic surgery.