Persistent Cognitive Deficits and Neuroinflammation In A Rat Model of Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Advances in surgical techniques and medical management have substantially improved mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Although postoperative cognitive dysfunction is common after CPB, the prevalence and mechanism(s) of intermediate and long-term cognitive deficits in the absence of neuronal loss remain a matter of discussion. By using an established rat model of CPB that does not display neuronal loss, we examined behavioral and structural effects of CPB at 6 months postsurgery. Persistent deficits in performance on a complex behavioral task and sustained activation of macrophages/microglia were observed with no evidence of neuronal loss.