Assessment of a digital game as a neuropsychological test for postoperative cognitive dysfunction

Objective: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction may result from worsening in a condition of previous impairment. It causes greater difficulty in recovery, longer hospital stays, and consequent delay in returning to work activities. Digital games have a potential neuromodulatory and rehabilitation effect. In this study, a digital game was used as a neuropsychological test to assess postoperative cognitive dysfunction, with preoperative patient performance as control. Methods: It was a non-controlled study, with patients selected among candidates for elective non-cardiac surgery, evaluated in the pre-and postoperative periods. The digital game used has six phases developed to evaluate selective attention, alternating attention, visuoperception, inhibitory control, short-term memory, and long-term memory. The digital game takes about 25 minutes. Scores are the sum of correct answers in each cognitive domain. Statistical analysis compared these cognitive functions pre-and post-surgery using a generalized linear mixed model (ANCOVA). Results: Sixty patients were evaluated, 40% male and 60% female, with a mean age of 52.7 +/- 13.5 years. Except for visuoperception, a reduction in post-surgery scores was found in all phases of the digital game. Conclusion: The digital game was able to detect decline in several cognitive functions post-operatively. As its completion is faster than in conventional tests on paper, this digital game may be a potentially recommended tool for assessing patients, especially the elderly and in the early postoperative period. (C) 2021 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

Automated summary

This study used a digital game as a neuropsychological test to assess postoperative cognitive dysfunction and found that the game was able to detect decline in multiple cognitive functions. Due to its faster completion time compared to traditional tests, the digital game may be a recommended tool for assessing patients, especially the elderly and those in the early postoperative period.