Objective: To investigate the effect of a bilateral paravertebral block (PVB) on cognitive function in elderly patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods: Sixty patients (40 men and 20 women) aged 65-80 undergoing radical gastrectomy surgery under general anaesthesia were included and randomly assigned to either the PVB group or the control group. Patients in the PVB group had before incision a single-shot ultrasound-guided bilateral PVB at the T8 level with 20 mL of ropivacaine 0.375%, while patients in the control group had no block. Patients in both groups had a BIS-guided total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol and remifentanil infusions. Postoperative cognitive function assessed by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and NSE (neuron-specific enolase) was the primary outcome.

Results: The awareness time in group PVB was shorter than that in the group C, and the propofol and remifentanil dosages were less than that in group C (P<0.001, P = 0.007, respectively). Furthermore, the change of the MMSE score and the NSE concentration was significant from day0 to day1 and day1 to day2. (P<0.001).

Conclusion: A single-shot bilateral PVB active throughout radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer reduces the needs for general anaesthetic agents and improve postoperative recovery, along with a surrogate evidence for neuroprotective effects.

Trial registration: ChiCTR2200060088 . Registered 18 May 2022.