Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

The goal of this clinical trial (Balanced-2 study) is to compare light to deep general anesthesia using widely available brain monitors, to see if 'light' anesthesia could reduce rates of delirium, cognitive decline, and disability in older adults undergoing major surgery. Delirium is the most common serious surgical complication, occurring in an estimated one in four older adults undergoing major surgery. Delirium causes significant distress to patients and family, and is associated with prolonged hospital stay, physical disability, progression to dementia-like illnesses, and discharge to long-term care. Between 10 - 30% of adults aged 70 years and above have surgery every year, and preserving brain health and wellbeing is an important priority during this time. Older adults (aged ≥65 years, or Indigenous, Pasific patients aged ≥55 years) undergoing major surgery with general anesthesia (excluding heart and brain surgery) and able to provide consent will be able to participate. Participants will be randomized to two groups - a lighter general anesthesia group and a deeper general anesthesia group using processed electroencephalography (a brain monitor that provides information on depth of anesthesia using brain waves). The anesthesiologist will titrate anesthetic drugs according to the brain monitor. Participants will be followed up to determine if they experience delirium after surgery, and longer term impact of delirium such as cognitive and physical decline will also be measured. If found to be effect, this simple, cheap, and widely available treatment could reduce disability, preserve brain health and wellbeing of many older adults undergoing surgery worldwide, and save millions in healthcare dollars.


Clinical Trial Description

The Balanced-2 study is a randomized clinical trial studying the effects of depth of anesthesia on the incidence of postoperative delirium, and its associated longer-term impact including cognitive, physical decline and mortality. The study follows accumulating evidence that titrating general anesthesia (GA) using processed electroencephalography (pEEG) can reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium, and has the most immediate promise as a preventative strategy. The evidence to date is limited by 1) significant statistical heterogeneity between studies, 2) poor adherence to the intervention, resulting in poor or no separation between the intervention and standard care groups in some studies, 3) exclusion of high risk patients such as those with cognitive impairment, 4) evidence limited to inhalation anesthetic agents only. The Balanced-2 study will recruit participants who are at higher risk of postoperative delirium (based on eligibility criteria), undergoing major surgery with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), with robust processes to ensure adherence and group separation. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio using a web-based service in permuted blocks of 8 patients according to region and stratified by surgical urgency and pre-existing neurocognitive disorders, to either light GA or deep GA from 10 mins after induction of anesthesia to emergence. Depth of anesthesia will be titrated using pEEG monitors such as the commonly used Bispectral index (BIS) and Patient State Index (PSI). The procedural anesthesiologist will pre-specify an individual mean arterial pressure (MAP) target before randomisation to avoid confounding. There will be limitations on the use of ketamine, nitrous oxide, clonidine and dexmedetomidine due to interference with pEEG, but all other aspects of care are determined by the procedural anesthesiologist or according to standard institutional protocol. The sample size was based on calculations using the minimum clinically important effect size, as determined by a Delphi process with 2 stakeholder groups. A statistical analysis plan will be published prior to trial commencement. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT06268080
Study type Interventional
Source Auckland City Hospital
Contact Davina McAllister
Phone +64 274891940
Email davinams@adhb.govt.nz
Status Not yet recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date March 31, 2024
Completion date December 31, 2028

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Active, not recruiting NCT04580030 - Tricuapid Annular Plane Sistolic Excursion Before General Anesthesia Can Predict Hypotension After Induction
Active, not recruiting NCT04279054 - Decreased Neuraxial Morphine After Cesarean Delivery Early Phase 1
Completed NCT03640442 - Modified Ramped Position for Intubation of Obese Females. N/A
Recruiting NCT04099693 - A Prospective Randomized Study of General Anesthesia Versus Anesthetist Administered Sedation for ERCP
Terminated NCT02481999 - Pre- and Postoperative EEG-Monitoring for Children Aged From 0,5 to 8 Years
Completed NCT04235894 - An Observer Rating Scale of Facial Expression Can Predict Dreaming in Propofol Anesthesia
Recruiting NCT05525104 - The Effect of DSA on Recovery of Anaesthesia in Children (Het Effect Van DSA op Het Herstel na Anesthesie Bij Kinderen). N/A
Recruiting NCT05024084 - Desflurane and Sevoflurane Minimal Flow Anesthesia on Recovery and Anesthetic Depth Phase 4
Completed NCT04204785 - Noise in the OR at Induction: Patient and Anesthesiologists Perceptions N/A
Completed NCT03277872 - NoL, HR and MABP Responses to Tracheal Intubation Performed With MAC Blade Versus Glidescope N/A
Terminated NCT03940651 - Cardiac and Renal Biomarkers in Arthroplasty Surgery Phase 4
Terminated NCT02529696 - Measuring Sedation in the Intensive Care Unit Using Wireless Accelerometers
Completed NCT05346588 - THRIVE Feasibility Trial Phase 3
Terminated NCT03704285 - Development of pk/pd Model of Propofol in Patients With Severe Burns
Recruiting NCT05259787 - EP Intravenous Anesthesia in Hysteroscopy Phase 4
Completed NCT02894996 - Does the Response to a Mini-fluid Challenge of 3ml/kg in 2 Minutes Predict Fluid Responsiveness for Pediatric Patient? N/A
Completed NCT05386082 - Anesthesia Core Quality Metrics Consensus Delphi Study
Terminated NCT03567928 - Laryngeal Mask in Upper Gastrointestinal Procedures N/A
Recruiting NCT06074471 - Motor Sparing Supraclavicular Block N/A
Completed NCT04163848 - CARbon Impact of aNesthesic Gas