Electroencephalography as a tool for assessment of brain ischemic alterations after open heart operations.

Cardiac surgery is commonly associated with brain ischemia. Few studies addressed brain electric activity changes after on-pump operations. Eyes closed EEG was performed in 22 patients (mean age: 45.

[Changes of spectral EEG parameters in normals at two week follow-up].

Computer EEG is commonly used in longitudinal clinical studies though physiological changes of electrical brain activity during repeated EEG recordings are poorly known. Resting eyes-closed EEG was recorded twice in two weeks in 14 healthy subjects (13 women, aged 25-69 years). At follow-up, the significant decrease of alpha and theta-2 power, along with changes of alpha-1 and alpha-2 mean frequencies in the right hemisphere, was observed.

Size of left cardiac chambers correlates with cerebral microembolic load in open heart operations.

Background. Microemboli are a widely recognized etiological factor of cerebral complications in cardiac surgery patients. The present study was aimed to determine if size of left cardiac chambers relates to cerebral microembolic load in open heart operations.

[Microemboli as a cause of postoperative deliria and cognitive disorders in surgical practice].

Analysis of contemporary clinical and experimental studies evidences that intraoperative microemboli considerably contribute to the development of postoperative deliria and cognitive disorders. A number of studies have shown that left temporal and occipital structures are especially vulnerable to intraoperative ischemia. It is important that neurological cases of ischemia of the former brain regions are frequently characterized by transient psychoses and hypomnesia.

Asymmetric cerebral embolic load and postoperative cognitive dysfunction in cardiac surgery.

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of asymmetric cerebral embolic load on cognitive functions.

Methods: Thirty-six open heart surgery (OH) and 26 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients were evaluated by neuropsychological and transcranial Doppler tests.

Results: OH was associated with a significantly larger microembolic load in comparison to CABG.