"To my knowledge this is the first study combining neuropsychological testing and perfusion imaging that screens for silent ischemic stroke events that can occur during stenting," said Iris Q. Grunwald, M.D., consultant at Saarland University Clinic in Homburg, Germany.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Every year, approximately 600,000 Americans experience a stroke, one-quarter of which are caused by carotid arterial occlusive disease, or a narrowing of the carotid arteries. Until recently, surgery was the standard treatment for this disease, but carotid artery stenting has emerged as an accepted minimally invasive alternative to restore blood flow to the brain.

To perform the procedure, an interventional radiologist inserts a long catheter into a tiny incision in the common femoral artery in the leg. Using an image-guidance system such as computed tomography (CT) and a guide wire, the radiologist positions the sheath at the site of the narrowing, or stenosis, in the carotid artery, expands the artery with a balloon and inserts a stent to hold the artery open.

While stenting is known to be an effective treatment for stroke prevention, little is known on the treatment's effects on cognitive function.

Dr. Grunwald and colleagues performed carotid artery stenting on 26 patients. All were given neuropsychological tests at least 24 hours before and three months after the stenting procedure. These tests included tests for cognitive speed (how quickly the brain processes information) and memory function. Patients were also tested for dementia and depression. The researchers examined the patients with diffusion- and perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MR
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Contact: Maureen Morley
mmorley@rsna.org
630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America
28-Nov-2005