Neurocognitive decline (NCD) is common after patients undergo cardiac surgery and has important implications for acute and long-term clinical outcomes and patient quality of life.

It is well documented that approximately 40% to 50% of patients who undergo cardiac surgery develop measurable NCD in the early postoperative period (Table 1)

Critical questions for cardiothoracic surgeons are the degree of disability patients suffer as a result of this early NCD, whether patients can be identified before surgery using a biomarker or cerebral imaging, and whether there are any interventions that could decrease that risk. Another question of interest is how long the dysfunction might persist and whether this will affect the patient long-term with regard to quality of life.