CODEC

Investigation of neural mechanisms of cognitive decline after Cardiac Surgery with resting state fMRI: A Pilot study

Summary

Cognitive impairment is common after cardiac (heart) surgery, particularly in older people. Up to six in every 10 patients who undergo cardiac surgery have some degree of cognitive impairment six months after their surgery. The mechanisms involved are unclear. Recent research in brain imaging has identified some regions of the brain involved in learning and memory which are working when the brain is "at rest", that is when the subject is not performing an explicit cognitive task. These brain networks, so called "resting state networks", represent the baseline, or default, mode of the brain. Brain imaging studies have shown that when the activity of resting state networks is reduced, patients are more likely to develop cognitive impairment. There is currently limited evidence to suggest whether cardiac surgery causes damage to resting state networks thus leading to cognitive impairment.

This study will investigate changes in resting state networks in 20 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass using functional brain magnetic resonance imaging.This study will help doctors to better understand the mechanisms leading to cognitive impairment following cardiac surgery and will aid in the development of preventive strategies and new treatments.