Test of implantable cardioverter defibrillator linked to cognitive problems

March, 2010

A study involving patients given on implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) reveals that more than a third of participants had significant cognitive problems six weeks and six and 12 months after ICD surgery. Although most regained their normal abilities within 12 months, a few (10%) first developed difficulties at that point.

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a small electronic device that monitors and regulates heartbeat, and many have been implanted in patients — an estimated 114,000 in the U.S. in 2006. Part of the implantation process involves ventricular defibrillation testing, which temporarily disrupts brain activity by causing a drop in blood pressure and blood flow to the brain. In a study involving 52 patients having cognitive tests several days before ICD surgery and again six weeks and six and 12 months afterwards, more than a third of participants had significant cognitive problems six weeks and six and 12 months after ICD surgery. Attention, short-term memory of visual words and objects, and auditory (spoken) words were most commonly affected. Although most patients regained their normal abilities by 12 months after surgery, a few (10%) first developed difficulties at that point. The results were unrelated to measurements of anxiety, depression and quality of life.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-03/aha-toi022610.php

Reference:

[303] Hallas, C. N., Burke J. L., White D. G., & Connelly D. T.
(2010). A Prospective One Year Study of Changes in Neuropsychological Functioning Following Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Surgery.
Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. CIRCEP.109.909580 - CIRCEP.109.909580.

seniors

Health & age-related problems

Related News

New brief tool to screen for cognitive impairment in elderly patients

A simple new cognitive assessment tool with only 16 items appears potentially useful for identifying problems in thinking, learning and memory among older adults.

DHA improves memory in older adults with cognitive impairment

There have been mixed findings about the benefits of DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid), but in a study involving 485 older adults (55+) with age-related cognitive impairment, those randomly assigned to take DHA for six months improved the score on a visuospatial learning and episodic memory test.

More evidence that older adults become less able to ignore distraction

A study involving young (average age 22) and older adults (average age 77) showed participants pictures of overlapping faces and places (houses and buildings) and asked them to identify the gender of the person.

Does early retirement dull your brain?

Do retired people tend to perform more poorly on cognitive tests than working people because you’re more likely to retire if your mental skills are starting to decline, or because retirement dulls the brain?

How the Alzheimer’s gene works; implications for treatment

Carriers of the so-called ‘Alzheimer’s gene’ (apoE4) comprise 65% of all Alzheimer's cases. A new study helps us understand why that’s true.

Low testosterone linked to Alzheimer's disease

A Chinese study involving 153 older men (55+; average age 72), of whom 47 had mild cognitive impairment, has found that 10 of those in the

Vitamin B12 may reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease

A seven-year study involving 271 Finns aged 65-79 has revealed that increases in the level of

Heavy smoking in midlife associated with dementia in later years

Data from 21,123 people, surveyed between 1978 and 1985 when in their 50s and tracked for dementia from 1994 to 2008, has revealed that those who smoked more than two packs per day in middle age had more than twice the risk of developing dementia, both Alzheimer's and

Old bees' memory fades too

I love cognitive studies on bees. The whole notion that those teeny-tiny brains are capable of the navigation and communication feats bees demonstrate is so wonderful. Now a new study finds that, just like us, aging bees find it hard to remember the location of a new home.

Walk for your brain’s sake

A long-running study involving 299 older adults (average age 78) has found that those who walked at least 72 blocks during a week of recorded activity (around six to nine miles) had greater gray matter volume nine years later.

Pages