Lower Extremity Artery Disease and Cognitive Impairment

Background The association between cerebrovascular disease and cognitive impairment is well known, but the impact of lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) on neuropsychological performance is less established. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of LEAD on cognitive impairment. Materials and Methods A total of 20 patients with LEAD, classified by Fountain's stage IIB, qualified for revascularization surgery has been included in this prospective study. Neuropsychological assessments have been done using MoCA and CANTAB test. Fifteen patients qualified for hernia surgery, without peripheral artery disease served as a control group. Linear regression model has been applied to assess the connection between LEAD and cognitive impairment. Results Differences between the study groups reach significance in both MoCA and CANTAB test. In MoCA test, patients with LEAD had lower levels of performance in attention (p = 0.0254), visuospatial/executive (p = 0.0343) and delayed recall (p = 0.0032). The mean MoCA score was below 26 points. In CANTAB test, patients with LEAD performed worse in visual memory and learning. After adjusted for common cerebrovascular risk factors, LEAD was significantly correlated with cognitive impairment defined as MoCA score < 26 points. Conclusions Lower extremity artery disease is associated with cognitive impairment independently of cerebrovascular risk factors.