Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Measured by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)

Backgrounds and Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias which apart from macro embolic complications may result in cerebral ischemic areas caused by micro emboli and end up in progressive cognitive impairments. The object of the research is a comprational study of cognitive impairment inpatient with atrial fibrillation and healthy subjects based on MMSE Test. research method was descriptive-comparative method and 60 subjects (30 AF cases and 30 healthy subjects) who referred to Tabriz Cardiology Clinic were evaluated in a discretional-analytical study with Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) questioner. Results showed a significant differences between patients and healthy groups in Time Orientation، Place Orientation، registration، attention and Concentration، recall، Repetition، Writing and Copying subscales but there was no significant different between groups in Naming، 3-Stage Command and Reading. According to present results، it seems that atrial fibrillation predispose to patients cognitive impairment.