Does postoperative delirium affect cognitive ability during the first year after cardiac surgery?
Postoperative delirium following cardiac surgery is associated with an initial decline and prolonged cognitive impairment up to one year.
Delirium is associated with a significant decline in cognitive ability during the first year after cardiac surgery, with a trajectory characterized by an initial decline and prolonged impairment. (Funded by the Harvard Older Americans Independence Center and others.).
Saczynski et al. (2012) studied this question.