The human brain after surgery and trauma - neuroinflammation, neurocognitive decline and dementia

This translational project explores mechanisms and pathophysiology, prevention and outcomes of longterm neurocognitive decline after surgery, with the ultimate goal to provide novel therapeutic strategies and guidelines for safer perioperative care.

Using comprehensive clinical and experimental platforms in man, animals and cells, combined with nation-wide outcome studies, we identify and describe underlying mechanisms and at-risk patients for neurocognitive decline or dementia after surgery and trauma.

We investigate surgery-induced immune activation and metabolic patterns, periphery-to-brain signaling and subsequent neuroinflammation with neurocognitive decline in experimental models.

We translate these findings into humans by state-of-the-art brain imaging combined with comprehensive cerebrospinal fluid and blood genomics and proteomics and longterm cognitive performance trajectories in surgical patients.

Surgery-induced changes on genetic and molecular levels within the innate and adaptive immune systems are described to identify patterns associated with neuroinflammation, cognitive decline and neurodegeneration after surgery.

Clinical results are combined with nation-wide outcome studies on the impact of surgery on later cognitive performance and dementia, aiming to ultimately identify at-risk patients and subpopulations.

This knowledge will help us provide novel therapeutics and perioperative guidelines to prevent cognitive decline or dementia after surgery and trauma.