Cerebrolysin in Prevention of Postoperative Delirium in Cardiac Surgery
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative neuropsychological dysfunction are frequently
noted in critically ill patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery and treated in the
intensive care unit (ICU). Delirium is a serious complication that prolongs hospital stay and
contributes to poor outcomes and increased risk of death. The pathomechanisms of delirium are
still not very well recognized and there are several theories that seem to explain it. The
most important pathomechanisms of delirium are associated with cerebral ischaemia, disorders
in acetylcholinergic system, disorders in neuronal plasticity and oxidative stress.
Cerebrolysin, a mixture of various peptides obtained from the structural proteins of the
pig's brain, possesses strong antioxidative and neuronal protective properties. Cerebrolysin
is recommended to treat patients with dementia, after cerebral ischemia and after brain
trauma. It has been documented that Cerebrolysin reduces the severity of secondary brain
damage after ischemia, improving neuronal plasticity and then cognitive function, and
reducing severity of oxidative stress. Based on these properties it can be speculated that
Cerebrolysin may reduce the risk of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing elective
surgery, which are associated with a high risk of postoperative delirium.