Overview
Chronological age alone is a poor description of physiological reserve. The Geriatric Neurosurgery programme studies how frailty, cognition, multimorbidity, polypharmacy and baseline independence interact with neurosurgical disease, treatment and recovery.
Objectives
01. Evaluate frailty and functional reserve alongside conventional surgical risk factors.
02. Measure delirium, complications, discharge destination, independence and patient-reported recovery.
03. Study competing risks and longer-term functional trajectories in older adults.
04. Support treatment decisions that reflect both procedural risk and the outcomes most important to the individual patient.
Research direction
The programme aims to move beyond age cut-offs toward a more nuanced understanding of vulnerability, resilience and meaningful postoperative recovery.
Collaboration
Project-specific collaboration depends on protocol maturity, governance, ethical approvals and data-sharing arrangements. Centres or investigators interested in aligned research questions are welcome to contact the NORA team.