Introduction: Dexmedetomidine (Dex) is suggested to be neuroprotective. However, influence of Dex on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in the elderly remains unknown.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effect of Dex on POCD. Relevant studies were obtained by search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane's Library databases. A random-effect model was used to pool the results.

Results: Fourteen RCTs including 1626 adults of 60 years or older who received surgery with general anesthesia were included. Because methodologically diverse scales were used for POCD, eight RCTs with POCD diagnosed with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were included in the meta-analysis, while the remaining six RCTs with POCD diagnosed with other scales were qualitative synthesized. Pooled results of RCTs with MMSE showed that Dex significantly reduced the incidence of POCD (risk ratio: 0.47, 95% confidence interval: 0.37-0.60, p < 0.001) with no significant heterogeneity (I(2)  = 0%) or publication bias (p for Egger's regression test = 0.579). For the remaining six RCTs with POCD diagnosed with other scales, three of them showed that Dex was associated with a significantly lower incidence of POCD, while the other three RCTs did not show a significant difference.

Conclusions: Dex is associated with a reduced risk of POCD in elderly patients receiving surgeries with general anesthesia, and the results were mainly obtained in studies with POCD diagnosed with MMSE. Based on these findings, Dex may be considered as a preventative measure for POCD in elderly patients.