CRP and delirium: Therefore, the present results should be regarded as exploratory, supporting the hypothesis that systemic inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of postoperative delirium but requiring confirmation in future prospective, multicenter studies with comprehensive adjustment for perioperative variables and inclusion of broader biomarker panels (e.g., CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, S100B, cholinesterase) to determine their true predictive value for postoperative neurocognitive disorders.