COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AMONG PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

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Sun Hyoung Bae and Jin-Hee Park

Ajou University, South Korea

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in HF and impacts on patients' engagement in self-care and quality of life, yet it is frequently not detected. This pilot study was done to examine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and cognitive function in patients with heart failure. In this cross-sectional study, 54 patients with heart failure were participated from one Medical hospital. Participants completed neuropsychological tests and the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire. All raw scores of the neuropsychological tests assessing cognitive function were transformed to Z-score using existing normative data correcting for age, gender, and education. Mean age of participants were 63.8 years old. Of the patients, 38 were male and 30 were diagnosed as ejection fraction redacted heart failure. Patients with heart failure scored lower than expected age and education adjusted norms in the domains of attention (z=-0.41), memory (z=-3.11), and executive function (z=-0.07). 29.6% of heart failure patients exhibited complex cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, the mean score of perceived cognitive failure was 26.28. These results suggest that patients with heart failure may be associated with objective cognitive impairments. Further studies are needed to explore the potential risk factors and predictor of cognitive decline. Also, nursing interventions for prevention and intervention of cognitive impairments should be developed and tested.

Biography

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Sun Hyoung Bae has her expertise in evaluation and passion in improving the Nursing science and wellbeing. She has been involved in research team on cancer patients and cardiovascular disease patients, and has recently been conducting intervention studies to improve cognitive function in patients with heart failure.

Email: shyoung@ajou.ac.kr