Scintigraphic evaluation of cerebral circulation in prognosis of cerebrovascular complications of coronary artery bypass grafting

The aim of the work was to study the possibility of using single-photon emission computed tomography (OECT) of brain using 99m Tc-hexamethyl propylene aminoxime for the evaluation of long-term prognosis of the development of neurocognitive deficit after coronary artery bypass grafting (CBG) and elucidation of relationship between variations of cognitive function and regional cerebral circulation. Surgical myocardial revascularization under artificial circulation was performed in 22 patients with CHD. All of them were examined for the assessment of neurologic and neuropsychological status, and OECT data before, 14 days and 6 months after CBg. Early cognitive deficit developed in 96% of the patients and persisted for 6 months in 55%. Cognitive dysfunction was manifest as post-operative impairment of short- and long-term memory, and general efficiency of remembering. Visual memory and psychomotor speed also deteriorated. Cerebral circulation decreased in frontal and parietal lobes of the right hemisphere. Deterioration of long-term memory 6 months postoperatively correlated with the early circulation decrease of in the right and left temporal lobes.