Neuropsychological Recovery after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

This study examined the effect of demographic andclinical variables on recovery of neuropsychologicalfunctioning after SAH. Medical condition and hospitalcourse including disease severity and complicationswere recorded prospectively. Demographics includingage sex race/ethnicity primary language and yearsof education were obtained via interview. Three and12 months after the SAH participants were invited tocomplete a comprehensive neuropsychological batteryin the patient's preferred language English orSpanish. Overall cognition and 7 cognitive domainswere assessed: attention psychomotor speedvisuospatial skills language verbal and visualmemory and executive functions. Psychomotor speedand attention recovered over time. Global mentalstatus 3 months after SAH was the best correlate ofneuropsychological functioning at one year. Factorsthat contributed to greater cognitive impairmentafter SAH included older age anterior aneurysmlocation amount and location of blood infarctionscerebral edema worse clinical grade male sex andnot speaking English but not vasospasm alone.Findings are discussed in relation to current literature.