PSYCHOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE STATUS BEFORE AND AFTER HEART-TRANSPLANTATION

Advances in the technical aspects of heart transplantation and the med ical management of rejection have allowed a shift toward research eval uating psychological factors affecting heart transplant candidates and psychosocial sequelae following transplantation. This study examined the psychological and cognitive status of patients presenting for hear t transplant evaluation. The findings indicated that this patient grou p was characterized by impaired verbal memory and a tendency toward de pression and anxiety. The second part of the study examined changes in psychological and cognitive status from the initial evaluation to a f ollow-up assessment 1 year after transplantation. The results indicate d that psychological distress (depression, anxiety) and several indice s of cognitive function improved after transplantation. Finally, corre lations were determined to evaluate the association between the psycho logical and cognitive measures and episodes of rejection in the first 6 months after transplantation. Anxiety, depression, and a nonverbal m easure of intelligence were found to be associated with the number of episodes of rejection. The implications of these findings are discusse d. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.