Volume 7, Issue 12, Pages 1761-1767 (December 2010) Neuropsychological decline after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation Niko Schwarz, PhD, Malte Kuniss, MD, Max Nedelmann, MD, Manfred Kaps, MD, Georg Bachmann, MD, Thomas Neumann, MD, Heinz-Friedrich Pitschner, MD, Tibo Gerriets, MD Heart Rhythm Volume 7, Issue 12, Pages 1761-1767 (December 2010) DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2010.07.035 Copyright © 2010 Heart Rhythm Society Terms and Conditions
Figure 1 Territorial stroke after catheter ablation. A: DWI: ischemic infarct in the region of the left artery cerebral media. B: MR angiography: left middle cerebral artery occlusion. Heart Rhythm 2010 7, 1761-1767DOI: (10.1016/j.hrthm.2010.07.035) Copyright © 2010 Heart Rhythm Society Terms and Conditions
Figure 2 DWI: two patients displayed small and clinically silent ischemic lesions (A: subcortical; B: cortical), detected 2 days after the ablation procedure. Heart Rhythm 2010 7, 1761-1767DOI: (10.1016/j.hrthm.2010.07.035) Copyright © 2010 Heart Rhythm Society Terms and Conditions
Figure 3 Verbal memory functioning before and 3 months after the ablation (mean z-scores). The ablation group (blue continuous line) deteriorates, whereas the control group (red dashed line) improves owing to practice effects. Heart Rhythm 2010 7, 1761-1767DOI: (10.1016/j.hrthm.2010.07.035) Copyright © 2010 Heart Rhythm Society Terms and Conditions