title: Neurocognitive profile of patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist device.
abstract: The increase of severe heart failure and the consequent reduction of the organ availability for transplantation has led to, in recent years, the introduction of the LVAD as replacement therapy to heart transplantation. Severe Heart Failure patients show cognitive deficits in various domains especially in executive functions, memory and speed of proceedings, due to different neurophysiopathological processes including chronic hypoperfusion and subsequent damage to hippocampal and para-hippocampal cortical areas. It is also known that these deficits improve after heart transplantation. We carried out a literature review selecting studies that analyzed the cognitive changes in patients with severe heart failure after implantation of the Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device. According to the inclusion criteria, we selected four studies since 2005 that presented a comprehensive neurocognitive assessment. The results show that the cognitive profile, with the implantation of LVAD improves in memory and executive domains, and this improvements results stable in short-medium time. The effects would also be independent of the type of flow produced by the device (pulsatile vs continuous). We believe that further studies are required to explore the relationship between LVAD and cognitive function in severe heart failure.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rafanelli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ungar
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mossello
authors.forename: Niccolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marchionni
authors.forename: Samuele
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldasseroni
mesh_terms: D002302:Cardiac Output; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D004867:Equipment Design; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans