Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is a typical complication, which can be referred to as POCD. This complication is common in elderly patients. Among them, POCD is mainly manifested in the function of patients with attention deficit and memory reduction after surgery, among which serious patients are prone to personality change, which affects their social behavior ability. In the context of the current era, the cause of POCD is not clear, combined with the results of most studies, it is found that central nervous inflammation, is a key factor affecting POCD. From the perspective of central inflammation, this paper analyzes the relationship between central inflammation and POCD, and discusses the mechanism of action, aiming at effectively preventing and treating POCD and providing a reference for subsequent research in related fields.