Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of carotid artery stenting (CAS) on the cognition and quality of life of elderly patients with severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 65 elderly patients with symptomatic severe stenosis of internal carotid artery were recruited into 2 groups: the pharmacotherapy group (n=29) and the CAS group (n=36). Before surgery and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) was used for the evaluation of cognition and WHOQOL-BREF was used for the assessment of quality of life.

RESULTS: At 12 months after surgery, total MoCA score and WHOQOL-BREF score in the pharmacotherapy group was significantly reduced when compared with those before surgery (P<0.05). In the CAS group, the total MoCA score, scores of attention and delayed recall, and WHOQOL-BREF score increased significantly at different time points after surgery when compared with those before surgery (P<0.05). Moreover, in CAS group, the MoCA score and WHOQOL-BREF markedly increased gradually over time (P<0.05). Compared with the pharmacotherapy group, cognition and quality of life in the CAS group were improved dramatically during the follow-up period (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery is a cause of cognition impairment, and CAS may improve cognition and quality of life.

Keywords: Angioplasty - adverse effects, Analysis of Variance, Aspirin - therapeutic use, Carotid Stenosis - surgery, Cognition - physiology, Heptanoic Acids - therapeutic use, Pyrroles - therapeutic use, Quality of Life - psychology, Regional Blood Flow - physiology, Stents, Ticlopidine - therapeutic use, Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial