CABG and Nonsurgical Patients Have Similar Cognitive Changes

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Cognitive changes from baseline to follow-up are similar between coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients and nonsurgical control patients, according to a report in the May issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

“Cognitive impairment after CABG is well recognized, but previous investigations have been limited by lack of an appropriate control group,” Dr. Ola A. Selnes and colleagues from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, note.

They therefore evaluated changes in cognitive performance from baseline to 3 and 12 months after CABG in 140 patients and compared these results with those of 92 nonsurgical control patients with similar risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD).

Dr. Selnes’ group assessed cognitive function using tests that evaluated attention, language, verbal and visual memory, visuoconstruction, executive function, and psychomotor and motor speed.

“After adjustment for demographic variables and testing location there were no statistically significant differences between the CABG and nonsurgical control subjects in baseline neuropsychological test performance,” they report.

Improvements in neuropsychological test performance were observed at 3 months in both groups of patients. CABG patients had significantly greater improvements than controls in verbal memory.

Overall, the researchers found no significant differences in performance between the groups at 12 months. “These data indicate that early postoperative changes after CABG may be transient and reversible by 3 months,” they write.

Ann Thorac Surg 2003; 75:1377-1386.