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Objective: to evaluate the impact of various forms of atrial fibrillation (AF) on the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cerebral small vessel disease.Patients and methods. The study included 31 patients with AF (paroxysmal form – 22 patients, permanent form – 9 patients). Arterial hypertension was diagnosed in 26 patients and diabetes mellitus in 6 patients. All patients were taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Patients underwent cognitive testing, screening ultrasound examination of the main arteries of the head and neck, MRI on a Siemens Skyra 3 T tomograph according to a protocol including diffusion tensor imaging and perfusion determination. To create a control group of healthy elderly individuals, the open database of clinical and MR data OASIS 3 was used that retrospectively evaluated more than 1000 people over a period of 30 years. Participants whose cognitive status was assessed clinically as "normal cognitive function" were selected.Results and discussion. The frequency of MCI and indicators of cognitive tests did not differ in groups of patients with permanent and paroxysmal forms of AF. The distribution of foci of hyperintense white matter, the thickness of the cerebral cortex also did not differ in patients with different forms of AF. The neuroimaging pattern of cerebral small vessel disease in AF patients without stroke was consistent with population controls.Conclusion. Prescribing DOACs to patients reduces the risk of cognitive impairment of vascular origin development due to the clear and predictable effect of this class of drugs that prevent the development of cerebral embolism.

Introduction. The present study analyzed the possibility of using neuropsychological tests to assess postoperative cognitive dysfunction. New data were obtained: in the postoperative period, hippocampal memory impairments predominate in patients, which makes it expedient to use methods for diagnosing primary modal-nonspecific memory disorders in patients who are to undergo neurosurgical intervention on the spinal cord.The aim of the study to evaluate the influence of surgery with anesthesia on the cognitive functions of middle-age patients.Materials and methods. The study included 20 middle-aged patients. All patients had to undergo spinal surgery. Patients received total intravenous anesthesia with propofol induction (4–12 mg/kg/hr). Cognitive functions before and after the operation were made with the use of the MoCA, TMT A and B, FCSRT, state-trait anxiety inventory test (STAI).Results. The development of POCD was noted in 15% of cases. The patients showed a decrease in the FCSRT prompt index (1st day = 87 ± 9.0; 2nd day = 83 ± 15; p = 0,0005), while the overall severity of cognitive impairments (total score of MoCA) did not change significantly (standard deviation according to MoCA: 24.25 ± 2.86 on day 1 and 24 ± 3.24 on the second day, p = 0.61). The RT level decreased by day 2: 44.65 ± 7.4 versus 41.1 ± 8.2 (p = 0.001). Correlation analysis did not show the relationship between the age of patients, education level, comorbidity and development of POCD; however, the duration of anesthesia was associated with a decrease in MoCA scores (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r = –0.44; p = 0.050).Conclusion. Thus, our study shows that the study of hippocampal memory impairments is important in patients with POCD. These data differ from the data of researchers presented earlier, where the most important clinical manifestations of POCD are considered to be a decrease in attention and speed of mental processes. Of course, the small sample size dictates the need for additional research.

Background: despite well-studied safety profile of dabigatran its interactions with genetic polymorphism parameters are poorly understood, especially in patients with moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study was aimed to evaluate relationships between CES1 and ABCB1 polymorphism, dabigatran trough plasma concentration (DTPC) and bleeding events in patients with AF and CKD.Methods: patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stage 3 CKD treated with dabigatran 110mg or 150 mg have been included in the study. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ABCB1 gene (rs1045642, rs4148738) and CES1 gene (rs2244613). A plasma trough concentration/dose (C/D) ratio was used as a pharmacokinetic index.Results: a total of 60 patients, aged 51–89 years (median age 76 years) were evaluated. Compared with patients given 150 mg twice a day, those given 110 mg twice a day were older (79 vs 67.5, p < 0.0001) and had lower creatinine clearance (CrCl) (50.5 vs 60.5 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.015). We found C/D values to have high interindividual variability (mean 365.9 ± 290.4 μg/ml: mg/day, range 23.64-1452.73). Individuals with CKD 3B had higher concentration of dabigatran compared with those with 3A stage (488.7 ± 232.3 vs 332 ± 297.8 μg/ml : mg/day, p = 0.02). Consequently, there also was negative correlation of C/D with CrCl (r = -0.4, p = 0.0015). Evaluated SNPs (rs1045642, rs4148738, and rs2244613) did not affect C/D values (H test p > 0.05).Conclusions: C/D values were significantly higher in patients with CKD 3B stage and those treated with dabigatran 110 mg. There was no influence of aforementioned SNPs on dabigatran trough concentrations and clinical outcomes.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common arrhythmias in patients ≥75 years of age. The increased risk of thrombosis due to age and the large number of concomitant diseases makes it evident that anticoagulant therapy is necessary. However, the same factors increase the risk of hemorrhagic complications, which are among the most dangerous side effects of anticoagulant therapy. That is why it is very important to identify patients with the highest probability of bleeding, whether large or small clinically significant and minor. The purpose of our study was to study the prognostic value of laboratory methods of examination with regard to the development of hemorrhagic events in elderly patients with AF taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). The study enrolled 102 patients ≥75 years of age with AF of non-valve etiology taking dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban at full or reduced doses. Anticoagulants were administered by outpatient and inpatient physicians. Both previous experience with DOAC prior to inclusion in the trial (if DOAC was previously prescribed) and prospective patient monitoring after inclusion in the trial were analyzed. The minimum analyzed period of DOAC intake was 18 months. Patients who underwent (n = 19) and did not undergo (n = 83) hemorrhagic events (all events were considered small by ISTH criteria) did not differ in any of the laboratory indicators potentially considered as predictors of hemorrhagic events.

Aim. To study the safety of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) over 75 years old.Material and methods. The observation study included patients ≥75 years of age with confirmed AF, receiving dabigatran in a reduced dosage, apixaban or rivaroxaban in full or reduced dosage. Previous experience of NOAC treatment from the very beginning of therapy, if a patient was ≥75 years old, or from the point a patient reached 75 years was considered; episodes of NOAK change, as well as hemorrhagic and ischemic events associated with taking an anticoagulant, were recorded. Patient groups were comparable in risk score by CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scales.Results. Patients with AF (n=102; 39 men and 63 women; an average age 79.4Ѓ}4.1 years) were included: 32 patients were in dabigatran group, 34 patients – in apixaban group and 36 patients – in rivaroxaban group. 19 clinically significant bleedings were recorded, 10 occurred in patients taking dabigatran and 9 in those taking rivaroxaban. No hemorrhagic events in patients treated with apixaban were observed. Hematuria (31.6%), large subcutaneous hematomas (26.3%) and intensive nasal bleedings (26.3%) were the most frequent events. No ischemic cardioembolic stroke was recorded.Conclusions. In elderly patients, all NOAC (dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban) demonstrated good safety profile without major bleeding within a 1.5-year follow-up period.

The purpose of the study is to assess the contribution of senile asthenia level to hemorrhagic complications quantity in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC).Material and methods. Elderly patients >75 y.o. with AF taking dabigatran, apixaban or rivaroxaban in full or reduced dosages and without special features of bleeding (such as double and triple antithrombotic therapy) were included in the study. If a patient was under anticoagulants before the study (but not earlier than one became 75 y.o.), this experience was also analyzed. All bleedings during the first 18 months of anticoagulating were taken in mind. Patients in different DOAC groups were comparable in age and concomitant pathology. The «fragility» index was evaluated at the stage of inclusion in the study; an adapted Rockwood scale was used.Results and discussion. 102 patients with AF >75 y.o. taking dabigatran, apixaban or rivaroxaban in dosages corresponding to the instructions were included in the study. During the analyzed period, 19 small clinically significant hemorrhagic events that did not require hospitalization or cancellation of DOAC were recorded. Patients with and without bleeding in anamnesis were significantly differed only by «fragility» index score (р = 0,001). The differences between concomitant pathology level which are mentioned in scale, is also not statistically significant. The average age of patients with and without bleeding anamnesis was not also significantly different (p = 0.12). In the future, it is advisable to continue the study using several scales for assessing the severity of the «fragility» index. Thus, it is advisable to calculate the «fragility» index in patients >75 years of age with AF taking DOAC.

Aim. Syncopal condition in young people are a relatively frequent and poorly understood medical problem. Non-cardiogenic syncope is not sufficiently studied because often they are not raise fears among doctors or patients, and at the same time their causes are associated with many complex medical and diagnostic aspects. The aim of the presented work is to identify the most significant risk factors in the development of non-cardiogenic syncopal conditions, identify triggers and assess the relationship between these factors, the lifestyle and development of syncope.Material and methods. The article presents the results of a descriptive research, including 1031 young people with a history of syncope episodes. The study took into account the presence of chronic diseases which could become a syncope trigger. External triggers (prolonged upright staying, stuffy room, and so on) were also determined.Results. In a multifactor survey of students living in Russia and abroad, the more frequent occurrence of non-cardiogenic syncopal episodes in young girls compared with young men was found. The effect of longterm upright and oxygen corporal were most likely risk factors for syncope.Conclusion. A significant correlation was found between the onset of reflex syncope and the presence of anemia and autonomic dysfunction syndrome. We proved the absence of a correlation between the level of daily load and the frequency of syncope conditions.

Aim. To test a hypothesis of hypoperfusion-induced white matter changes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) and to present statistics to compute sample size for the upcoming studies.Material and methods. We included 30 inpatients with AFib and investigated them with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with standard sequencies and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI data were analyzed with conventional ROI analysis in the Olea Sphere software and with watershed areas (WSA) mask in the FSL toolbox after nonlinear transformation of images to the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space. Wilcoxon test was used to compare diffusion characteristics across subgroups.Results. Median age of participants was 73 years (69-78), 18 (60%) patients had moderate signs of small vessel disease with Fazekas score of one. Twenty-one patients had paroxysmal AFib. Analysis of WSA revealed decreased white matter integrity in the parieto-occipital cortical WSA with a pattern of significantly increased mean diffusivity (p=0,039), and marginally significant decrease in fractional anisotropy (p=0,056). Rank-based effect size across areas under comparison was either small (0,2) or negligible, and with statistical power in the range of 0,05-1.Conclusion. Atrial fibrillation could have pathophysiologically feasible mechanism to affect white matter integrity in the watershed areas.