J Korean Geriatr Soc.  2012 Mar;16(1):12-20. 10.4235/jkgs.2012.16.1.12.

Changes on Cognitive Function after Carotid Artery Stenting in Patients with Severe Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Prospective, 3 Months Follow-up Study

• Kang JY
• Kim HS
• Kang MJ
• Kim DH
• Cha JK
• Huh JT
• Kim JW
• Park KW

• KMID: 1434635
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4235/jkgs.2012.16.1.12

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is emerging as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy for the treatment of carotid stenosis. The effects of CAS on cognitive function have not been fully addressed. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of carotid stenting on cognitive function from baseline to 3 months in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis through the use of a detailed neuropsychological test.
METHODS
We recruited 28 patients with carotid artery stenosis (> or =70%) at baseline on a consecutive basis between February, 2009 and December, 2010. Twenty-two patients out of 28 cases, who had undergone CAS and follow-up neuropsychological evaluation after 3 months, were included in our analysis. Main cognitive outcome measures were the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery-Dementia version (SNSB-D), which containing detailed cognitive tasks. We evaluated the baseline clinical characteristics and changes of cognitive outcome measures using SNSB-D in our cases from baseline to 3 months follow-up period, respectively.
RESULTS
After a 3 month follow-up period, patients that underwent CAS showed significant improvement in cognitive function in total SNSB-D score compared to the baseline state of 18.1 points at 3 months (p<0.05). The other cognitive outcome measures showed significant improvements (p<0.05) in the task of confrontational naming, visual memory, and the scale of clinical dementia rating sum of box.
CONCLUSION
We found that there might be a positive effect of carotid artery stenting on cognitive function from baseline to 3 months in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis.

Keyword

Carotid stenosis; Stent; Cognition; Neuropsychological test

MeSH Terms

Carotid Arteries
Carotid Stenosis
Cognition
Dementia
Endarterectomy, Carotid
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Mass Screening
Memory
Neuropsychological Tests
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Prospective Studies
Stents