title: Language, memory, and verbal fluency changes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: results of a preoperative investigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect changes in speech, verbal fluency, and memory in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) caused by ruptured aneurysms and to analyze the results before surgical or embolization procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the period May 2007 to November 2009, 193 patients with anterior aneurysmal SAH admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital da Restauração, Recife, Brazil, were tested for speech, verbal fluency, and memory disturbances after the first week of bleeding and compared with a control group with similar demographics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with aneurysmal SAH differed significantly from the control group in language, verbal fluency, and memory functions before clipping or coiling procedures. There were differences in cognitive performance between patients with different aneurysm sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was possible to characterize the cognitive impairments of each area affected early on in the preoperative period, confirming the assumptions that the aneurysm site could be a determining factor of cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. Ana.vieira@oi.com.br
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Hildo R C
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Azevedo-Filho
authors.forename: Saul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quinino
authors.forename: Moysés Loyola
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ponte de Souza
authors.forename: Divaldo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Câmara
authors.forename: Laécio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leitão
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011932:Reading; D013060:Speech; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*