Objective To assess the effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine on postoperative cognitive function of elderly general anesthesia patients.Methods A total of 80 elderly patients who received general anesthesia in Huaining County People's Hospital from March 2022 to September 2023 were selected as the study objects and were divided into 3 groups by random number table method:control group(20 cases),group A(30 cases)and group B(30 cases).Control group was pumped with an equal dose of saline,while group A was pumped with 0.5 μg/kg dexmedeto-midine,and group B was pumped with 1.0 μg/kg dexmedetomidine.The anesthetic effects of the three groups were compared and analyzed.Results 24 h after surgery,the sedation scores of groups A and B was higher than that of the control group,and the score of group B[(3.99±0.11)points]was higher than that of group A[(2.51±0.91)points],the difference was statistically significant(all P<0.05).The pain score of groups A and B was lower than that of control group,and the score of group B[(0.70±0.09)points]was lower than that of group A[(0.91±0.28)points],and the differ-ence was statistically significant(all P<0.05).At 6 h and 1 d after operation,the cognitive function scores of groups A and B were better than those of control group,and group B was higher than group A,the difference was statistically significant(all P<0.05).In the immediate postoperative period and 1 day later,the levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-ki-nase(PI3K)and serine/threonine-protein kinase(AKT)in groups A and B were lower than those in the control group,group B was lower than group A,and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Conclusion In elderly general anesthesia patients,dexmedetomidine can significantly improve the cognitive function of patients and exert an-algesic and sedative effects,and the high dose of dexmedetomidine has a better protective effect on the cognitive abil-ity of patients.