Abstract

Research suggests that individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) experience declines in neuropsychological functioning post-operatively. This decline has been observed in up to 80% of patients early after surgery, and in up to 30% of patients after six months. Many studies have examined the potential effects of CABG on neuropsychological functioning in general, and numerous studies have found that executive functions are impaired in particular. However, none have examined what factors contribute to observed executive dysfunction after CABG. This study investigated the role of memory functions on executive functions in a selected sample of patients undergoing CABG. This study also examined the role of selected individual variables and surgical variables on executive functioning after CABG. Archival data were used for this study. The sample consisted of 42 patients who had undergone elective, on pump, normothermic CABG surgery. A battery of neuropsychological tests was administered 1-3 days before surgery and again approximately one week postoperatively, just before hospital discharge. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant decline on neuropsychological tests of executive functioning after CABG surgery. It was also hypothesized that impairment in executive functions would be impacted by performance on tests of long term memory as well as demographic and surgical factors including age, education, cardiopulmonary bypass time, anesthesia time and surgery time. Results revealed that there were significant declines in executive functions after CABG. Despite significant declines in long term memory functions after CABG, performance on long-term memory tests did not contribute significantly to performance on executive functioning tasks. Executive functioning was significantly impacted, however, by age, education, cardiopulmonary bypass time, anesthesia time and surgery time. Together, these results suggest that impairments in executive functioning after CABG may be due to demographic and perioperative factors and may exist independent of deficits in long term memory.

LLU Discipline

Psychology

Department

Psychology

School

Graduate Studies

First Advisor

Susan A. Ropacki

Second Advisor

Richard E. Hartman

Third Advisor

Jason E. Owen

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Level

M.A.

Year Degree Awarded

2008

Date (Title Page)

6-2008

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Coronary Artery Bypass -- rehabilitation; Neuropsychological Test; Postoperative Complications; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Cognition -- physiology. Cognition Disorders -- etiology.

Type

Thesis

Page Count

xi; 49

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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