The Effect of Esketamine on Postoperative Cognitive Function in Elderly Patients Undergoing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

NCT07665099 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: KQ-YJ-2026-19382271231
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 98
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Esketamine is a common anesthetic adjuvant. Previous studies have shown that it may have protective effects on the brain. This study aims to investigate whether esketamine can improve cognitive function recovery in elderly patients (aged 60 years and older) undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either esketamine or a placebo (normal saline) during anesthesia. Neither the participants nor the researchers will know which treatment is given. Cognitive function will be assessed using standardized tests before surgery and at 1, 3, 7, and 15 days after surgery. Sleep quality, pain scores, emotional status, and adverse events will also be recorded. Blood samples will be collected to explore potential mechanisms. The study is expected to enroll approximately 98 participants at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University in Xi'an, China. Participation will last about 16 days from the day before surgery to the final follow-up on day 15 after surgery.

Conditions

Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Score on Postoperative Day 1

  Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Score on Postoperative Day 1

  Day 1 after surgery

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Telephone-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA) Score at Postoperative Days 3, 7, and 15

  Postoperative days 3, 7, and 15

• Sleep Quality Assessed by Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) at Postoperative Days 1 and 3

  Postoperative days 1 and 3

• Pain Intensity Measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at Postoperative Hours 6, 12, and 24

  Postoperative hours 6, 12, and 24

• Emotional Status Assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at Postoperative Days 1 and 3

  Postoperative days 1 and 3

• Incidence of Rescue Analgesia

  During the first 24 hours after surgery

Study Arms (2)

Esketamine Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm will receive an intravenous bolus of esketamine 0.3 mg/kg (administered over 1 minute) after anesthesia induction, followed by a continuous infusion of 0.3 mg/kg/h, which will be discontinued 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The drug will be prepared in normal saline to a total volume of 10 mL and administered in a double-blind manner

Drug: esketamine

Normal Saline Group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants in this arm will receive an equal volume of normal saline at the same time points as the experimental group: a bolus after anesthesia induction followed by a continuous infusion, which will be discontinued 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The placebo will be prepared in identical syringes to maintain blinding

Drug: Normal Saline

Interventions

esketamine DRUG

Esketamine is administered as an intravenous bolus of 0.3 mg/kg (over 1 minute) after anesthesia induction, followed by a continuous intravenous infusion of 0.3 mg/kg/h until 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The drug is diluted with normal saline to a total volume of 10 mL and prepared in identical syringes to ensure blinding. This intervention is used as the experimental treatment to assess its effect on postoperative cognitive recovery in elderly patients undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery

Esketamine Group

Normal Saline DRUG

Normal saline is used as the placebo control. It is administered as an intravenous bolus of equal volume after anesthesia induction, followed by a continuous intravenous infusion at an equal rate until 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The saline is prepared in identical syringes to the experimental drug to maintain double-blind conditions. This intervention serves as the comparator to evaluate the specific effect of esketamine on postoperative cognitive recovery

Normal Saline Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥ 60 years, either sex; Scheduled for elective oral and maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia (including oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery, orthognathic surgery, and maxillofacial trauma repair surgery); American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III; Expected duration of anesthesia ≥ 2 hours; Willing and able to provide written informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Pre-existing behavioral disorders or psychiatric diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease), or current use of antipsychotic medications (e.g., clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, haloperidol, chlorpromazine); Pre-existing severe organ dysfunction including: severe cardiovascular disease (life-threatening arrhythmias, severe uncontrolled hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure), severe respiratory disease (respiratory failure, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), severe hepatic insufficiency (Child-Pugh Class C), or severe renal insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate \< 30 mL/min or creatinine \> 2.5 mg/dL); Known contraindications to esketamine including: hypersensitivity to the active substance or any excipients; severe risk of elevated blood pressure or intracranial pressure; uncontrolled or untreated hypertension (resting systolic/diastolic blood pressure \> 180/100 mmHg); preeclampsia or eclampsia; untreated or inadequately treated hyperthyroidism; conditions requiring uterine relaxation (e.g., uterine rupture, umbilical cord prolapse); use as the sole anesthetic in patients with significant ischemic heart disease; Surgical approach that would interfere with postoperative MoCA assessment; Concurrent participation in another clinical trial; Pre-existing cognitive impairment or Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score \< 24, unable to complete questionnaire-based assessments.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Xijing Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

The Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University

Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Esketamine; Saline Solution

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Crystalloid Solutions; Isotonic Solutions; Solutions; Pharmaceutical Preparations

Central Study Contacts

Haopeng Zhang

CONTACT

+86 17791305967; haopeng.zhang@foxmail.com

Guanghui Hao

CONTACT

+8615291285018; 15291285018@163.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: QUADRUPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Chief Physician

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 18, 2026
• First Posted: June 24, 2026
• Study Start: July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 15, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 31, 2027
• Last Updated: June 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)