2022 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 1-8
To meaningfully define cognitive improvement after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), each patient was determined as postoperative cognitive improvement based on subjective cognitive assessment by a neurosurgeon and the patient's next of kin and changes of neuropsychological test scores. As a result, the prevalence of postoperative cognitive improvement was 11%. Studies using single-photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed that CEA improves cerebral blood flow and metabolism, neurotransmitter receptor function, and white matter microarchitecture, leading to postoperative cognitive improvement. Pre-existing cerebral white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging adversely affect cognitive improvement after CEA.
