Cognitive function in patients undergoing coronary angiography.
OBJECTIVE
To measure cognition in patients before and after coronary angiography.


METHODS
Prospective observational cohort study.


METHODS
University teaching hospital.


METHODS
56 patients presenting for elective coronary angiography.


METHODS
Computerised cognitive test battery administered before coronary angiography, before discharge from hospital and 7 days after discharge. A matched healthy control group was used as a comparator.


RESULTS
When analysed by group, coronary angiography patients performed worse than matched controls at each time point. When the cognitive change was examined for each individual, of the 48 patients tested at discharge, 19 (39.6%) were classified as having a new cognitive dysfunction, and of 49 patients tested at day 7, six (12.2%) were classified as having a new cognitive dysfunction.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm that cognitive function is decreased in patients who have cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, coronary angiography may exacerbate this impaired cognition in some patients.
Centre for Anaesthesia and Cognitive Function, Department of Anaesthesia, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
A N
AN
Devapalasundarum
Centre for Anaesthesia and Cognitive Function, Department of Anaesthesia, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
B S
BS
Silbert
Centre for Anaesthesia and Cognitive Function, Department of Anaesthesia, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
L A
LA
Evered
Centre for Anaesthesia and Cognitive Function, Department of Anaesthesia, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
D A
DA
Scott
Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
A I
AI
MacIsaac
Centre for Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
P T
PT
Maruff
Cognitive dysfunction; cognition; coronary angiography