An observational study in Spatial Memory Disorder, sponsored by University of Chile. Recruiting at 2 sites in Chile. Open to participants aged 30 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-11-20.
Sponsored by University of Chile · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effect of general anesthetic on spatial memory in adults who will undergo to an elective surgery. The main question it aims to answer is:
Participants will perform a virtual maze test and plasma samples will be taken before and after surgery.
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) occurs after a surgical event under general anesthesia and is characterized by a decline in one or more cognitive functions. POCD is defined as delayed neurocognitive recovery if it takes place within the first 30 days, if it exceeds that time it is known as postoperative neurocognitive disorder. The pathogenesis of this dysfunction is not entirely clear. However, the most accepted hypothesis would be neuroinflammatory, which would take place due to the contribution of inflammatory factors typical of surgical trauma under general anesthesia, with anesthetics such as sevoflurane. Consequently, one of the areas most susceptible to this inflammatory environment would be the hippocampus, a structure responsible for learning and memory. Spatial memory is responsible for encoding and retrieving information about the environment and spatial orientation. To confirm this hypothesis, an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with sevoflurane, plasma measurement of cytokines interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and virtual navigation tests will be performed before and after an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with sevoflurane, in order to establish a correlation between the inflammatory component and performance in the virtual navigation test. The above will allow us to elucidate the possible occurrence of a delayed neurocognitive recovery related to spatial memory in middle-aged individuals, providing new background related to an age group that has been little studied, with a non-minor incidence (30%), where the evident concern arises for being a population exposed to activities or environments of greater risk, linked to work, sport, driving, among others. This finding will guide the doctor and the patient to decide or take the necessary safeguards when proceeding with a surgical intervention in the middle-aged population.
373 studies on the registry are indexed under Memory Disorders; 67 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 22 is below the median of 187 across 62 observational studies indexed under Memory Disorders.
Browse Memory Disorders studies →University of Chile is the lead sponsor of 194 studies on the registry; 38 are open to participants now.
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Adult patients bewteen 30 and 50 years old who will undergo to an elective laparoscopic surgery of cholecystectomy.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Procedure: Surgery/general anesthesia
Adult patients between the ages of 30 and 50 who are to undergo elective surgery under general anesthesia will have their spatial memory tested and interleukin 1beta and alpha tumor necrosis measured before and after surgery.
Virtual spatial memory
Time to reach the goal
Time frame: 1th day after surgery
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-1beta plasma concentration
Time frame: 1st day after surgery
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-1beta plasma concentration
Time frame: 7th day after surgery
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-1beta plasma concentration
Time frame: 30th day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Tumor necrosis factor alpha plasma concentration
Time frame: 1st day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Tumor necrosis factor alpha plasma concentration
Time frame: 7th day after surgery
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
Tumor necrosis factor alpha plasma concentration
Time frame: 30th day after surgery
Virtual spatial memory
Time to reach the goal
Time frame: 7st day after surgery
Virtual spatial memory
Time to reach the goal
Time frame: 30th day after surgery
Plan to share: Undecided
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Aug 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Nov 2025, 27 months after the start.
Of 23 observational studies under Memory Disorders, half reached primary completion within 37 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 22 and three quarters within 208. This study's planned 27 months is below that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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