Poster Session 08 Program Schedule
02/16/2024
01:45 pm - 03:00 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)
Poster Session 08: Cognition | Cognitive Reserve Variables
Final Abstract #49
The Protective Role of Cognitive Reserve in Neurocognitive functions in Cardiac Surgery patients
Dr. Kalliopi Megari, Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Dr. Mary Kosmidis, aLab of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Category: Assessment/Psychometrics/Methods (Adult)
Keyword 1: cognitive reserve
Keyword 2: cognitive functioning
Keyword 3: neuropsychological assessment
Objective:
Main components of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), including impaired memory, attention, orientation, judgment, and general social functioning, is frequently present in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. Although it has been proposed that cognitive reserve (CR) may act as a buffer against the effects of neuropathology, aging, and/or trauma, it has not been sufficiently researched in cardiac surgery patients. In patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, we searched at how CR affected POCD.
Participants and Methods:
101 patients underwent neuropsychological evaluations before and four months after extracorporeal circulation-assisted cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Measures of attention, learning, short- and long-term memory, visuospatial perception, anxiety, and depression were all included in the assessment.
Results:
We defined cognitive dysfunction as a 20% postoperative decline in performance on 20% of neuropsychological tests compared to preoperative performance. Age, educational attainment, occupation, the functional index, and measures of vocabulary were used to estimate CR. Based on the median split, each patient was assigned to either the high (n=50) or low CR (n=51) group. Chi-square tests revealed that, when compared to patients with high CR, patients with low CR were more likely to exhibit cognitive dysfunction in attention, memory, visuospatial perception, and executive functions (p.001).
Conclusions:
It is crucial to identify those who will require the most cognitive rehabilitation considering the occurrence and intensity and of POCD following cardiac surgery and its effects on patients' performance and quality of life. Our results imply that CR can forecast neuropsychological results. This knowledge could be used to improve the overall functional outcome of patients following surgery by helping to design intervention programs.
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