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Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is defined as a prolonged cognitive function impairment that occurs within weeks to months of a surgical procedure. It is especially prevalent in the elderly population, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. As anaesthetic and surgical care continues to improve and become increasingly safer, a significantly greater number of older patients have elective surgical procedures today, yet this comes with an increased POCD risk as they go through the perioperative phases. Although the pathophysiology behind the development of POCD is still under investigation, current causative mechanisms include the mode of anaesthesia administered, anaesthetic used, cerebral hypoperfusion, hyperventilation and neuroinflammation. These findings lend an insight into the importance of being cognisant of the higher likelihood of POCD in at-risk patients, including the elderly, and …