title: Patients with carotid atherosclerosis who underwent or did not undergo carotid endarterectomy: outcome on mood, cognition and quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare the six-month outcome on mood, cognition and quality of life (QoL) in patients with severe carotid atherosclerosis (CA) who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with subjects who refused treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study on consecutive inpatients with CA (stenosis ≥ 50 %) (N = 46; age 72.56 ± 7.26; male 65.2 %). Intervention cohort: subjects who decided to undergo CEA (N = 35); Control cohort patients who refused CEA (N = 11). DSM-IV-Psychiatric diagnosis made by clinicians using interviews, QoL measured by Short Form Health Survey (SF-12); cognitive performance by WAIS Intelligent Coefficient (IC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study showed a better improvement during six months in Overall IC, Performance IC and Verbal IC in the group that underwent CEA. QoL in the two cohorts did not reach statistical significance. Percentages of patients who improved in the CEA group were significantly higher with regard to Overall and Verbal IC scores, and at the limits of statistical significance in Performance IC. The differences of subject with improvement in SF-12 score in the two groups did not reach statistical significance. Ages below 68 were found to be determinant of a good outcome in Overall IC score. Limit: study conducted with a small sample size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with severe carotid atherosclerosis who underwent CEA enhanced their cognitive performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. mgcarta@tiscali.it.|Center for Liaison Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. mgcarta@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Mauro Giovanni
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Carta
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. mefi81@hotmail.it.|Center for Liaison Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. mefi81@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Maria Efisia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lecca
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), of Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato s.s. 554, Monserrato, 09045, Cagliari, Italy. lucasaba@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), of Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato, Cagliari, 09045, Italy. sanfilippo@pacs.unica.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. pintuselisa@yahoo.it.|Center for Liaison Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. pintuselisa@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pintus
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. michela.cadoni91@gmail.com.|Center for Liaison Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. michela.cadoni91@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cadoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. federicasancassiani@yahoo.it.|Center for Liaison Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. federicasancassiani@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sancassiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. mfmoro@gmail.com.|Center for Liaison Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. mfmoro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Francesca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Moro
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), of Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato, Cagliari, 09045, Italy. davcrab@pacs.unica.it.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Craboledda
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), of Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato, Cagliari, 09045, Italy. logiudice@pacs.unica.it.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lo Giudice
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Science, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. gabriele.finco@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Finco
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Science, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. mmusu@unica.it.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musu
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), of Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato, Cagliari, 09045, Italy. roberto.montisci@iol.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montisci
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome