Cerebral microemboli and cognitive impairment.

Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound (TCD) may be used to detect cerebral microemboli in patient groups with an increased stroke risk and during invasive cardiovascular examinations and operations. Although these microemboli do not cause immediate symptoms, there is growing evidence which suggests that they may cause cognitive impairment if they enter the cerebral circulation in significant numbers. This has been studied in detail in patients who have had coronary artery bypass surgery. In these patients, an association has been found between the number of intraoperative cerebral microemboli detected by transcranial Doppler and postoperative neuropsychological outcome. It is also possible that cerebral microemboli may be the cause of cognitive impairment in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Cerebral microemboli are often found in patients with atherosclerosis, especially of the carotid arteries and aortic arch, and in patients with heart disease. There is also an increased risk for silent strokes and cognitive impairment in these patients. Prospective clinical studies are therefore required to determine if continuous cerebral microembolization to the brain will lead to progressive cognitive impairment.