Reaction Time and Anticipatory Skill in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Compared With Normal Controls: A Pilot Study

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a non-surgical procedure for the treatment of Coronary Artery Diseases (CADs). One of the most common disorders associated with these procedures is the occurrence of Cognitive Impairments (CIs). This study aimed to assess the Reaction Time (RT) and anticipatory skill of PCI patients and healthy subjects, using computer-based software as a safe and easy method.

Ten male PCI patients and ten healthy male individuals participated in this cross-sectional study. Auditory choice and complex choice RT, visual choice and complex choice RT, and anticipatory skill of the low and high speed of the ball of both groups were analyzed by Speed Anticipation Reaction Test (SART) software.

No significant difference was seen between two groups in terms of simple auditory RT (P=0.15), auditory complex choice of RT (P=0.19), and anticipatory skills of the low speed of the ball (P=0.16). However, the performance of PCI patients was significantly worse on the simple visual RT (P=0.01), visual complex choice RT (P=0.05), and anticipatory skill of the high speed of the ball (P=0.04) compared to those of the healthy controls.

The assessment of RT and anticipatory skill as neurocognitive tests is considered to be one of the useful methods for evaluating the cognition function of patients, who have cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the pilot study suggests that PCI patients had a similar or even poorer performance in cognitive function compared with healthy people.