Compared to controls, patients with ruptured aneurysm and surgical intervention show increase in symptoms of depression and lower cognitive performance, but their objective sleep is not affected

Abstract

Objectives. Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) have impaired sleep and cognitive performance together with more difficulties in social and everyday life. Hypocortisolism has also been reported. However, a study assessing all dimensions between aSAH severity, objective and subjective sleep, cortisol secretion, cognitive performance and social and everyday life has not so far been performed. The aim of the present study was therefore two-fold: (1) to assess, in a sample of patients with aSAH, objective and subjective sleep, cognitive functioning, social skills and cortisol secretion concurrently, and (2) to compare patients on these variables with a control group. Methods. Twenty-one patients (17 females; mean age: 58.80 years) with ruptured aneurysm and surgical intervention and 21 (14 females; mean age: 58.90 years) age- and gender-matched controls took part in the study. Assessments covered objective sleep-EGG recordings, subjective sleep, salivary cortisol analysis, and psychological functioning including memory performance, mood, and emotion recognition. Results. Compared to healthy controls, patients had lower scores for verbal memory performance and emotion recognition; they also reported more marked depressive symptoms and complained of poor sleep. However, no differences were found for objective sleep or cortisol secretion. Subjective and objective sleep, cortisol secretion and psychological functioning were unrelated. Conclusions. Findings indicate that patients with aSAH face psychological rather than physiological issues.

Key Words::

• aneurysm
• sleep
• cognition
• emotion recognition
• mood

Acknowledgements

We thank the Basel Science Society (BSS/FAG, Basel, Switzerland) for the unrestricted grant (SB). Moreover, we thank Nick Emler (University of Surrey, UK) for proofreading the manuscript.

Statement of Interest

None to declare.

Notes

¹ To avoid artificial correlations with other instruments assessing sleep, the item related to sleep complaints was omitted.

² Cognitive performance was not associated with educational level (r values < 0.25, P values > 0.40).