Analogy tests and psychopathology at follow-up after open heart surgery

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Abstract
A study of 100 coronary bypass and cardiac valvular surgery patients investigated whether preoperative brain damage, as measured by the Conceptual Level Analogy Test (CLAT), is a major risk for postoperative psychiatric symptoms and mortality. Three cognitive psychological tests, including the CLAT, and psychiatric interviews were given preoperatively, postoperatively and at 18 mo. follow-up. Surgical outcome was specified as: catastrophic outcome (death or severe stroke), psychiatric complications or good outcome (survival with no psychiatric complications). Inhospital outcome related significantly to analogy test scores, as did both surgical procedure and diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease. Long-term outcome was unrelated to medical diagnosis and only weakly related to surgical procedure, but highly significantly related to preoperative analogy scores. The CLAT was a more consistent predictor of both short- and long-term outcome than any of the other 10 variables considered (medical and surgical variables, inhospital outcome, demographic measures and other psychological tests).

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