Neuropsychological Patterns Differ by Type of Left Ventricle Dysfunction in Heart Failure

Cognitive impairment is common among individuals with heart failure. The purpose of this study was to compare cognitive profiles of individuals with systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Eighty individuals with heart failure completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Mini-Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test, and letter fluency. Approximately 25 of individuals with systolic dysfunction were impaired on the RBANS Total Scale score, compared with only 3 in the diastolic group. Additionally, individuals with systolic dysfunction scored lower than those with diastolic dysfunction on tests of immediate and delayed memory. The groups did not differ on tests of visuospatial skills, but there were mixed results on the RBANS Attention and Language subtests. Overall, the results of this study suggest that individuals with different types of cardiac dysfunction (systolic and diastolic dysfunction) demonstrate differential patterns of performance on neuropsychological tests. These findings have important clinical implications.