Long-Term Cognitive Changes after Revascularization Surgery in Adult Patients with Ischemic Moyamoya Disease

Revascularization surgery for adult moyamoya disease (MMD) with ischemic presentation changes cognitive function and prevents further cerebral ischemic events. Most studies however repeated neuropsychological evaluation within 1 year after surgery. Our previous prospective cohort study of adult patients with MMD with misery perfusion who underwent direct revascularization surgery showed cognitive improvement and decline in 31% and 44%, respectively, of the patients 2 months after surgery. The present prospective study aimed to elucidate the 5-year cognitive changes after direct revascularization surgery in adult patients with cerebral misery perfusion due to ischemic MMD by following the same patients.

In total, 31 patients were prospectively followed up for 5 years after direct revascularization surgery. Five types of neuropsychological tests were performed preoperatively, 2 months after surgery, and at the end of the 5-year follow-up. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the symptomatic cerebral hemisphere relative to that in the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere (hemispheric relative CBF [RCBF]) was measured using brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography preoperatively and at the end of the 5-year follow-up.

Based on results of pre- and postoperative neuropsychological tests, 11, 10, and 10 patients showed cognitive improvement, no change in cognitive function, and cognitive decline, respectively, at the end of the 5-year follow-up. These ratios were not significantly different compared with those 2 months after surgery (cognitive improvement, no change in cognitive function, and cognitive decline in 10, 8, and 13 patients, respectively). Although hemispheric RCBF was significantly greater at the end of the 5-year follow-up than before surgery in patients with cognitive improvement (80.7 ± 6.1% vs. 92.9 ± 5.5%; p = 0.0033) and in those showing no change in cognitive function (85.6 ± 3.5 vs. 91.5 ± 5.2%; p = 0.0093), this value was significantly lower at the end of the 5-year follow-up than before surgery in patients with cognitive decline (83.8 ± 3.7 vs. 81.0 ± 5.8%; p = 0.0367).

One-third of adult patients with cerebral misery perfusion due to ischemic MMD who underwent direct revascularization surgery exhibited cognitive improvement, and one-third exhibited decline at the end of the 5-year follow-up. The former and latter patients had increased and decreased CBF, respectively, in the affected cerebral hemisphere at the end of the 5-year follow-up compared with preoperative brain perfusion.