Perceived Cognitive Function and Emotional Distress Following Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Abstract

Many patients experience decrements in cognitive function and emotional adjustment following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Moreover, cognitive decline and emotional distress are often positively related. This study evaluated the cross-sectional and prospective associations of emotional and subjective cognitive complaints, to assess the hypothesis that they would be mutually reinforcing. Participants were 76 CABG patients recruited from Akron General Medical Center. Depression and anxiety symptoms and perceived cognitive difficulties were evaluated at a baseline postsurgical visit and re-assessed 5 months later. Emotional symptoms and perceived cognitive difficulties were significantly related both within and across time. After controlling for numerous potential confounds, baseline perceived cognitive difficulties predicted a more negative course of emotional symptoms during follow-up. Baseline emotional symptoms did not predict the course of perceived cognitive difficulties. Perceptions of cognitive decline may contribute to emotional distress in patients post-CABG.

Cognitive complaints after mild traumatic brain injury: Things are not always what they seem

“…Importantly, over half of the patients with cognitive complaints reported severe levels of posttraumatic stress, and symptomatic patients were 18 times more likely to experience severe fatigue. Although the cross-sectional nature of the study does not allow to draw inferences about the direction of these relations, perceived cognitive difficulties and emotional distress are likely to be associated in a dynamic manner, so that each influences and maintains the other [64]. In addition, fatigue can be both a cause and a consequence of perceived cognitive problems and may be experienced as 'mental fatigue,' 'bodily fatigue,' or both.…”

Hypertension and Risk of Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…POCD is considered transient [2] but may remain detectable for months and years after surgery [3]. In patients with persistent POCD, it is known to negatively impact on everyday life tasks [4], quality of life [5], subjective memory performance [6], emotional symptoms [7], and may predict more severe health consequences such as dementia and premature mortality [2, 8, 9]. Both the prevalence of hypertension and the likelihood of major surgery increase with advanced age [10-13].…”

Health-related quality of life and subjective neurocognitive function three months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

“…21 In a sample of male patients undergoing conventional CABG, Thornton and colleagues 22 found that objective cognitive deficits were largely unrelated to the SF-36 and only partially related to depression and anxiety. However, objective cognitive deficits were related to subjective proxy ratings of patients' neurocognitive function and were of concern to close relatives.…”