Influence of carotid artery stenting on cognitive function.
BACKGROUND
There have only been a few studies on cognitive changes in patients with carotid occlusive disease, and the results of these show major discrepancies in the extent to which treatment affects neuropsychological function. We sought to clarify these discrepancies by evaluating the effects of carotid artery stenting (CAS) on the cognitive function.


METHODS
Forty-one asymptomatic CAS patients were administered a test battery of neuropsychological tests measuring cognitive speed and memory function before and 3 months after the procedure. A control group was also evaluated. To test for thromboembolic lesions, diffusion-weighted imaging was used.


RESULTS
CAS led to a significant increase in cognitive speed (p<0.001) but did not afford any change in memory function. This was regardless of the degree or side of stenosis or patient age or gender.


CONCLUSIONS
CAS significantly improved functions that involve cognitive speed. Earlier studies did not differentiate between speed and memory tests and thus might have missed these changes. Further studies correlating changes in brain perfusion with increase in cognitive speed are needed.
Grunwald
Iris Quasar
IQ
Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Saarland University Clinic, Homburg, Germany. i.grunwald@gmx.net
Papanagiotou
Panagiotis
P
Reith
Wolfgang
W
Backens
Martin
M
Supprian
Tilman
T
Politi
Maria
M
Vedder
Verena
V
Zercher
K
K
Muscalla
B
B
Haass
Anton
A
Krick
Christoph M
CM
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D017130:Angioplasty; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome