Neuropsychological improvement versus practice effect following unilateral carotid endarterectomy in patients without stroke.
Patients who were admitted to hospital for a recent transient ischemic attack were entered into one of three groups based on medical and surgical characteristics; those with an abnormal neurological examination or a focal abnormality on CT Scan were omitted from the study. The two surgical groups (12 patients each) underwent either a left or right endarterectomy for a symptomatic atheroma of the ipsilateral carotid artery. The control group consisted of 12 patients who either demonstrated minor or nonexistent carotid abnormalities or a TIA distribution that was contralateral to what would otherwise have been a surgically treatable lesion. Patients were tested before surgery and again 6-8 weeks later with the WAIS, WMS, and other neuropsychological measures. Significant improvement on some measures at follow-up was strictly equivalent across all groups and was attributed to practice effects.
Casey
J E
JE
University Hospital, London, Canada.
Ferguson
G G
GG
Kimura
D
D
Hachinski
V C
VC
D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D014888:Wechsler Scales