Memantine improves cognitive function postoperatively

International Conference on Neurological Disorders & Stroke and Neurooncology

April 24-25, 2017 Dubai, UAE

Ahmad I Mahozi, Mohamed Abbas Radhi, Suja Al-Zayer and Amer Kamal

Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Neurol Disord

Abstract :

Statement of the Problem: Persistent impairment in general cognitive functioning postoperatively is reported by clinical studies and is labeled as postoperative cognitive decline (POCD), without specifying which exact cognitive functions are impaired. Animal studies focused on hippocampal injury resulting in memory decline, but also neglected other aspects of cognition. Evidence points to a malignant neuroinflammatory response as the mechanism underlying POCD, with subsequent synaptic impairment and cytokineinduced glutamatergic excitotoxicity. The objective of this study is to evaluate a spectrum of cognitive functions postoperatively, and to investigate the potential effect of memantine, an NMDA-receptor antagonist, on attenuation of POCD. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Male mice were divided into memantine (M), and two placebo groups, A and B (PA, PB) (8-10 per group). Memantine was given at a therapeutic dose daily for 30 days prior to the surgery. The memantine and placebo-A groups received isoflurane anesthesia and analgesics, and then underwent a simple laparotomy procedure. The placebo-B group only received anesthesia and analgesia. Neurocognitive testing was then performed on postoperative days (POD) 1 and 7 using the Morris water maze (MWM) to assess memory, the open field test (OFT) for locomotor function and anxiety-like behavior, the tail suspension test (TST) for depression-like behavior, and the three-chamber test (TCT) for sociability and social novelty. Findings: M-POD1 performed significantly better than PA-POD1 on the TCT (p<0.05) and the TST (p<0.001), and showed a tendency to improve on the MWM when compared to PB-POD1. M-POD7 also showed a significant improvement in the TST (p<0.05) and the MWM (p<0.05) when compared to PA-POD7, while TCT showed normal results in both groups. No significant difference was observed between placebo groups and memantine groups on the OFT. Conclusion & Significance: Memantine may improve cognitive functions postoperatively, and could be investigated further as a prophylaxis for POCD.

Biography :

Email: a.mahozi@gmail.com