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Original Articles: Adult Cardiac

Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction and Aortic Atheroma

^a Centre for Anaesthesia and Cognitive Function, Department of Anaesthesia, St. Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
^b Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Accepted for publication November 19, 2009.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Silbert, Department of Anaesthesia, St. Vincent's Health, PO Box 2900, Fitzroy, Vic, Australia (Email: brendan.silbert{at}svhm.org.au).

Background: The relationship of aortic atheroma to postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), a common complication of coronary artery bypass graft surgery, has not been resolved. We undertook assessment of aortic atheroma using intraoperative ultrasonography and related the degree of aortic atheroma to POCD.

Methods: Aortic atheroma was assessed using intraoperative transesophageal and epiaortic echocardiography in 311 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Atheroma was graded from 0 (normal or minimal) to 3 (mobile or rough) in each of four quadrants of the proximal ascending to proximal descending thoracic aorta. Atheroma burden was defined as the atheroma score divided by the total possible score for that patient. Patients also completed a neuropsychological battery consisting of eight tests taken the week before surgery and at 1 week and 3 and 12 months afterward. Decreased cognitive function for each test was defined as an individual decrease of at least 1 standard deviation of the group baseline mean for that test, and POCD was defined as a decrease in two or more tests.

Results: The atheroma burden (%) was greater in the patients with POCD. The difference was greatest at 1 week (10.4 ± 14.7 versus 4.4 ± 9.0, p = 0.0002) and diminished progressively at 3 months (8.9 ± 14.1 versus 5.4 ± 10.1, p = 0.06) and 12 months (6.6 ± 12.0 versus 5.6 ± 10.2, p = 0.56). Multivariable analysis showed that atheroma burden strongly predicted POCD at 1 week.

Conclusions: Aortic atheroma burden predicts POCD at 1 week but has less impact on POCD as time progresses. Atheroma burden is highly correlated with age and may be a good predictor of early POCD.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Evered, D. A. Scott, B. Silbert, and P. Maruff Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction Is Independent of Type of Surgery and Anesthetic Anesth. Analg., May 1, 2011; 112(5): 1179 - 1185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]