Change in behavioral functional capacity is associated with preexisting cognitive function rather than with cognitive decline in patients 1 year after cardiac surgery.

Objective: The objective was to examine whether preexisting cognitive function rather than cognitive decline associated with intraoperative procedures may predict change in behavioral functional capacity in patients 1 year after cardiac surgery.

Method: Forty-five patients completed a cognitive evaluation, including the Trail Making Test part B (TMT-B) for attention and psychomotor speed, the Memory with 10-s interference for working memory, the Digit Span test for short-term memory and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) questionnaire for behavioral functional capacity, before surgery and 1 year after cardiac surgery.

Results: Sixteen patients (36%) exhibited cognitive decline after cardiac surgery.

Biofeedback assisted control of respiratory sinus arrhythmia as a biobehavioral intervention for depressive symptoms in patients after cardiac surgery: a preliminary study.

The current study investigated whether biofeedback training aimed at increasing respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of cardiac vagal modulation, can reduce depressive symptoms in patients after cardiac surgery. This randomized controlled study enrolled 26 patients after first-time cardiac surgery. The patients were randomly assigned to an RSA-biofeedback group (N = 13) or to a treatment as usual group (N = 13).

Association between depression and heart rate variability in patients after cardiac surgery: a pilot study.

Objective: Depression is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Reduced heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects altered autonomic nervous system activity, has been suggested as one of the mechanisms linking depression to cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between depression and HRV has not yet been investigated in patients undergone cardiac surgery.