Cognitive Function in Candidates for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract

Background: While many studies have investigated cognitive impairments in patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, very few have closely evaluated presurgical cognitive functioning of bypass candidates. Methods: A battery of neuropsychologic tests was administered to a consecutive series of patients listed for bypass surgery (n = 109). Cognitive function of bypass candidates was compared with that of a healthy control group (n = 25) and published test norms. Results: Cognitive test scores in candidates for bypass were significantly lower than those of the control group on tests of attention, information processing speed, and verbal memory. Additionally, bypass candidates' cogniti..