• Simone Messerotti Benvenuti, Elisabetta Patron, Paolo Zanatta, Elvio Polesel, and Daniela Palomba.
• Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 8-35131 Padova, Italy. Electronic address: simone.messerotti@unipd.it.
• Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2014 Jul 1; 36 (4): 368-74.

ObjectiveTo examine whether preexisting cognitive status rather than short- and middle-term postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) may differentially account for behavioral functional capacity 3 months after cardiac surgery.MethodSeventy-nine patients completed a psychological evaluation, including the Trail Making Test Part B, the memory with 10-s interference, the phonemic fluency and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) questionnaire for cognitive functions and behavioral functional capacity, respectively, before surgery, at discharge and at 3-month follow-up.ResultsThirty-one (39%) and 22 (28%) patients showed POCD at discharge and at 3-month follow-up, respectively. Preoperative cognitive status was significantly associated with change in behavioral functional capacity 3 months after surgery (Ps<.003), whereas short- and middle-term POCD and intraoperative risk factors were unrelated to residualized change in IADLs scores (all Ps>.095).ConclusionsPreexisting cognitive deficit, especially working memory deficit, rather than short- and middle-term POCD related to intraoperative risk factors is associated with poor behavioral functional capacity 3 months after cardiac surgery. The present study therefore suggests that a preoperative cognitive evaluation is essential to anticipate which patients are likely to show a decline in behavioral functional capacity after cardiac surgery.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

19 keywords...

hide…