Effect of propofol and sevoflurane on postoperative cognitive function in the aged patients

Objective To investigate the effect of propofol and sevoflurane on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients.Methods Eighty elderly patients scheduled for elective upper abdominal surgery under general anesthesia were randomized equally into propofol group and sevoflurane group.Postoperative mini-mental state examination(MMSE) and the rate of postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD) were compared between two groups.Results The incidence of POCD was significantly lower in sevoflurane group than in propofol group at day 1 after surgery(7.5% vs 27.5%,P0.05).The cognitive function recovered to the preoperative levels in two groups at day 3 after surgery.Conclusion Compared with propofol,sevoflurane could reduce the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in the aged patients.