People with coronary heart disease have recourse to a palliative intervention such as Coronary Artery Bypass
Grafting (CABG). There is increasing recognition, however, that postoperative cerebral complications and neuropsychological
decline constitute a significant proportion of adverse outcomes associated with the CABG procedure.
Utilising a one-group pre- and posttest quasi-experimental design, nineteen participants undergoing elective CABG
at the Pretoria Academic Hospital, were assessed on a neuropsychological test battery comprising six instruments
and the Beck Depression Inventory. The main aim of the study was to investigate the neuropsychological outcomes
in CABG patients after elective surgery. The secondary aim was to determine if neuropsychological outcomes
correlate with quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG). The findings indicated that postoperatively, 63% of
patients demonstrated cognitive change in various neuropsychological domains. A group mean analysis found
significant postoperative decline on specific tasks of the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT), the Rey Auditory Verbal
Learning Test (RAVLT), and the Trail Making Test (TMT). The relationship between neuropsychological performance
and the QEEG measures was not significant. The study confirms previous findings regarding selective
neuropsychological postoperative performance decrement, and highlights the importance of psychological intervention
in the rehabilitation process.
Persone met ‘n koronêre hartsiekte is soms genoodsaak om ‘n hartomleiding (CABG), wat ‘n tydelike intervensie
ter verligting is, te ondergaan. Daar is egter ‘n toenemende bewustheid dat die serebrale komplikasies en afname
in neurosielkundige funksies, wat met die CABG-prosedure verband hou, betekenisvolle ongunstige uitkomste na
die chirurgie het. ‘n Neurosielkundige toetsbattery, wat uit ses instrumente bestaan, en die “Beck Depression
Inventory”, is gebruik om die neurosielkundige uitkomste by negentien persone te ondersoek wat elektiewe
hartomleidingchirurgie by die Pretoria Akademiese Hospitaal ondergaan het. Verder is ook gepoog om vas te stel of
neurosielkundige uitkomste met kwantitatiewe elektroënsefalografie (KEEG) korreleer. In hierdie studie is ‘n eengroep
voor- en natoets kwasi-eksperimentele ontwerp gebruik. Daar is bevind dat 63% van die pasiënte wel kognitiewe verandering in verskeie neurosielkundige domeine ondergaan het. ‘n Groepgemiddelde ontleding het betekenisvolle
agteruitgang op spesifieke take van die “Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT)”, die “Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test
(RAVLT)”, en die “Trail Making Test (TMT)” na die chirurgie bevind. Die verhouding tussen neurosielkundige prestasie
en die KEEG-meting was nie betekenisvol nie. Die navorsing bevestig vorige bevindings met betrekking tot die
agteruitgang in prestasie na die CABG-prosedure en beklemtoon die belangrikheid van sielkundige intervensie in
die rehabilitasieproses.
