[Cognitive impairment after cardiac surgery].

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is not a problem specific to cardiac surgery. It nonetheless occurs most frequently after heart surgery, performed with or without extracorporeal circulation. The perioperative inflammatory process appears to be the predominant pathophysiologic mechanism. The incidence of cognitive dysfunction after heart surgery varies according to the type of surgery and the time of diagnosis. It may affect 50 to 80% of patients at hospital discharge. Age is the risk factor most often found in the literature. Preventive measures, based on knowledge of risk factors, might reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunctions modulated by a genetic predisposition. No curative treatment has thus far been shown to be efficacious.