Think Better with a Carotid Stent

People with TIAs (transient ischemic attacks) or those who have had a stroke usually have a thickened inner lining to their carotid arteries due to atherosclerosis. To improve the blood flow through the carotids it’s common to insert a stent – a small tube that holds the vessel open. After this sort of surgery (and after other procedures that disturb the arteries, such as coronary artery bypass grafting) it’s not unusual for mental functioning to decline.

However, a study done in Spokane, Washington, has found that, using a stent with a small net at the top end to catch any fragments of atheroma that may break off, there was actual improvement in mental functioning three months later. This showed up on three different tests of ‘cognitive performance’, and the improvements were even greater after 6 months. As the investigator put it “people thought better when we improved their blood flow”. It’s not clear that the net filter at the top of the stent was indeed necessary. Mental functioning still improved in the few patients who had microemboli (small fragments getting through he net) detected by MRI.

The bottom line – if your physician recommends a carotid stent, react favorably.