BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It has been shown previously that cerebral microemboli may occur frequently in @entity1 with a normal @entity340 ( @entity340 ) without prior history of @entity64 . Some arguments strongly suggest that these microemboli have a gaseous origin. In other circumstances such as extracorporeal circulation or decompression in divers, it has been demonstrated that cerebral microbubbles could lead to some @entity73 . Therefore, we have studied attention and memory, which are among the most impaired cognitive functions as demonstrated in previous studies, in @entity1 with an @entity340 . METHODS: Three groups of 12 volunteers each were composed of @entity1 with an @entity340 and embolic signals in the cerebral circulation (group 1), @entity1 with biological prostheses (group 2), and healthy subjects (group 3). Groups were carefully matched for age and verbal intellectual abilities. For each group, a transcranial Doppler examination was performed and a set of cognitive tests assessing sustained and selective attention and @entity2414 was administered. RESULTS: The mean embolic rate was 29 per hour in @entity1 with an @entity340 . No embolus was detected in the other 2 groups. Episodic memory was significantly modified in both groups 1 and 2 compared with the control group for tasks that required high-processing resources. Working memory performance was significantly decreased in @entity340 @entity1 . No between-groups differences were observed for the other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Alteration of episodic memory can be attributed to a long-term effect of the surgical procedure. @entity2414 can be related to the presence of cerebral microemboli in @entity340 @entity1 .

Microemboli in cerebral circulation and alteration of cognitive abilities in XXXX with mechanical prosthetic heart valves.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity64 :: ('MESH:D020521', 'Disease') :: ['stroke'] @entity2414 :: ('MESH:D008569', 'Disease') :: ['episodic and working memory', 'Deterioration of working memory'] @entity73 :: ('MESH:D003072', 'Disease') :: ['deterioration in cognitive functions'] @entity340 :: ('MESH:D006349', 'Disease') :: ['mechanical heart valve', 'MHV']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['patients']
