Alterations in cognitive outcome between 3 and 12 months in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

To prospectively investigate cognitive recovery from 3 to 12 months after resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and the associations between cognitive performance at 3 months and health-related quality of life (HRQL), psychological distress and work status after 12 months. At both assessments, neuropsychological tests were used to measure aspects of general mental ability, verbal and visual memory, psychomotor speed and executive function. The Short Form-36 (SF-36) was used to measure mental and physical HRQL, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess psychological distress. 33 survivors completed both exams (31 males, mean age 58.6 years, SD=13). The OHCAs were witnessed and due to cardiac origins. Nine patients were awake at admission to the hospital. Longer coma duration was associated with poorer cognitive results. Memory impairments were the most common symptom. The mean changes and effect sizes indicated minor improvements in cognitive performance from 3 to 12 months (Hedges g≤.26). Reliable change indices for an individual's results further confirmed the stability of the group statistics. The HADS scores showed increased depressive symptoms, and mental HRQL was reduced from 3 to 12 months. Higher reports of psychological distress were related to worse HRQL. Work participation increased. Better cognitive results at 3 months were correlated with better HRQL and return to work at 12 months. The current data describe stability in results from 3 to 12 months. A worse cognitive performance at 3 months and higher reports of psychological distress were associated with lower HRQL.