ICD Heart Regulator Improves Thought Process
Interestingly, devices similar to pacemakers that regulate blood flow through heart control, promote good neuropsychological health. A March 2010 study confirms.
A standard test of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is linked to significant thought-processing problems that improve for most patients within a year after the device is inserted, according to research reported in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Conclusions—ICD implantation is associated with neuropsychological impairment which dissipates for the majority of recipients after 12 months. Short-term memory function and attention are particularly vulnerable to changes in oxygen during ICD testing. Although, anxiety and depression are prevalent, there is little evidence for the direct impact of mood on cognition, and deficits appear not to be associated with reduced quality of life. These results provide evidence for longitudinal outcomes of ICD surgery and have implications for patient rehabilitation and adjustment.
