[Delayed cognitive impairment in patients with aortic stenosis treated with surgical valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a comparative study].

INTRODUCTION

Cognitive impairment secondary to cerebrovascular events is a common complication of aortic valve replacement interventions. Our aim is to study the deterioration profile of patients who have undergone surgical valve replacement or transcatheter valve implantation (TAVI) and whether it differs according to the intervention they underwent and their baseline risk factors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a prospective observational study with two non-equivalent groups of patients (TAVI group and surgical group) Intergroup comparisons were carried out in several cognitive domains, with a baseline assessment and follow-up measurements six and 12 months after the intervention.

RESULTS

The TAVI group performed less well than the surgical group in executive and visuospatial functions, with scores partially determined by age (p < 0.01) and prior intellectual level (Pearson prior intelligence quotient-scalar test means: 0.665; p < 0.001). Mean scores at the three measurement points indicate a decline in executive function performance at six months, which is restored at 12 months. Sustained increases in memory were recorded at both time points, while visuospatial function and naming showed no subsequent recovery of the baseline levels. These trends are similar in both groups.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained do not confirm the appearance of a specific process of post-intervention neurocognitive impairment in complicated aortic stenosis. The deterioration profile does not show any significant differences between groups, but is more evident in TAVI patients, due to the influence of variables related to sample selection.