Figure 1.

A schematic diagram of the possible mechanisms included in the development of postoperative cognitive decline following cardiac surgery. The full-line arrow compared to dashed line arrow indicates a more significant relationship between the 2 terms. The extent of the possible impact of each mechanism as well as their interaction effect in the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive decline after cardiac surgery is beyond the scope of this article. For additional discussion, please see the body of the article text. CPB – cardiopulmonary bypass; BBB – blood-brain barrier.