Neurocognitive, Quality of Life, and Behavioral Outcomes for Patients With Covert Stroke After Cardiac Surgery: Exploratory Analysis of Data From a Prospectively Randomized Trial.

Background: Asymptomatic brain ischemic injury detected with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) is reported in more than one-half of patients after cardiac surgery. There are conflicting findings on whether DWI-detected covert stroke is associated with neurocognitive dysfunction after surgery, and it is unclear whether such ischemic injury affects quality of life or behavioral outcomes. The purpose of this study was to perform exploratory analysis on whether covert stroke after cardiac surgery is associated with delayed neurocognitive recovery 1 month after surgery, impaired quality of life, anxiety, or depression.

Clinical Applications of Near-infrared Spectroscopy Monitoring in Cardiovascular Surgery.

Near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring provides a practical method to follow trends in superficial cerebral cortex oxygenation during and after cardiovascular surgery. Determination of the limits of cerebral pressure-flow autoregulation is now possible using processed oximetry signals in relation to arterial pressure.