Research Summary
A 2020 Stanford study revealed that major cardiac surgeries might accelerate cognitive decline, with Alzheimer’s-related blood markers spiking significantly in patients. The Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience, through its Translational Award, is advancing this research with a large-scale, long-term study to uncover how surgery triggers neuronal stress and cell death. By connecting these molecular changes to patients’ cognitive outcomes, researchers aim to pinpoint factors influencing resilience or vulnerability and develop strategies to protect brain health in surgical patients.
