title: Compared to controls, patients with ruptured aneurysm and surgical intervention show increase in symptoms of depression and lower cognitive performance, but their objective sleep is not affected.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) have impaired sleep and cognitive performance together with more difficulties in social and everyday life. Hypocortisolism has also been reported. However, a study assessing all dimensions between aSAH severity, objective and subjective sleep, cortisol secretion, cognitive performance and social and everyday life has not so far been performed. The aim of the present study was therefore two-fold: (1) to assess, in a sample of patients with aSAH, objective and subjective sleep, cognitive functioning, social skills and cortisol secretion concurrently, and (2) to compare patients on these variables with a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients (17 females; mean age: 58.80 years) with ruptured aneurysm and surgical intervention and 21 (14 females; mean age: 58.90 years) age- and gender-matched controls took part in the study. Assessments covered objective sleep-EGG recordings, subjective sleep, salivary cortisol analysis, and psychological functioning including memory performance, mood, and emotion recognition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to healthy controls, patients had lower scores for verbal memory performance and emotion recognition; they also reported more marked depressive symptoms and complained of poor sleep. However, no differences were found for objective sleep or cortisol secretion. Subjective and objective sleep, cortisol secretion and psychological functioning were unrelated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings indicate that patients with aSAH face psychological rather than physiological issues.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zimmerer
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalak
authors.forename: Sandra Von
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Planta
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schwenzer-Zimmerer
authors.forename: Andreas Albert
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Hans-Florian
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Zeilhofer
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holsboer-Trachsler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: aneurysm; cognition; emotion recognition; mood; sleep