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Neuropsychological aspects of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome

Aspectos neuropsicológicos da síndrome de vasoconstrição cerebral reversível

ABSTRACT.

Despite the increasing knowledge in the past years, only minimal attention has been directed to the neuropsychological aspects and the prevalence of cognitive impairment associated with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS).

Objective:

To describe the frequency and expand the understanding of cognitive dysfunction in RCVS.

Methods:

The neuropsychological evaluation was performed using a battery consisting of specific neuropsychological instruments that were administered to patients diagnosed with RCVS. A triage was conducted to exclude other potential causes of cognitive impairment. Performance on the tests was treated as a categorical variable, and a cutoff of −1.5 Z-score was adopted to indicate impaired performance.

Results:

Seven patients diagnosed with RCVS were evaluated, all of whom had a bachelor's degree and normal score in the Mini-Mental State Examination. The average time between diagnosis and neuropsychological evaluation was 1.8 years. Among the patients, 85.6% (n=6) exhibited performance below that of the normal population in at least two of the administered tests. Specifically, 71.4% (n=5) showed alterations in tests from the Psychological Battery for Attention Assessment, with impairment observed in concentrated (n=1), divided (n=3), or alternating (n=4) attention. Furthermore, 28.6% (n=2) demonstrated impairments in the Phonological Verbal Fluency Task, another 28.6% (n=2) exhibited difficulties copying elements of the Rey Complex Figure, and 14.3% (n=1) displayed lower performance in the Five-Digit test, all indicating executive dysfunction.

Conclusion:

This study provides evidence that cognitive impairment associated with RCVS is more prevalent than previously believed and has not received sufficient attention. Specifically, attention and executive functions are the cognitive domains most significantly impacted by RCVS.

Keywords:
Vasoconstriction; Cognitive Dysfunction; Neuropsychology; Ischemic Stroke

RESUMO.

Apesar do crescente conhecimento nos últimos anos, pouca atenção tem sido direcionada aos aspectos neuropsicológicos e à prevalência de declínio cognitivo associado à Síndrome de Vasoconstrição Cerebral Reversível (SVCR).

Objetivo:

Descrever a frequência e expandir o entendimento da disfunção cognitiva associada à SVCR.

Métodos:

A avaliação neuropsicológica foi realizada por meio de uma bateria composta de instrumentos neuropsicológicos específicos, que foram aplicados aos pacientes com SVCR. Uma triagem foi realizada para excluir outras potenciais causas de declínio cognitivo. O desempenho nos testes foi considerado como variável categórica, e o corte de −1,5 escore z foi adotado para indicar desempenho comprometido.

Resultados:

Sete pacientes com diagnóstico de SVCR foram avaliados, os quais tinham todos nível de ensino superior e pontuação normal no Miniexame do Estado Mental. A média de tempo entre o diagnóstico e a avaliação neuropsicológica foi de 1,8 ano. Dentre os pacientes, 85,6%(n=6) apresentaram desempenho comprometido em pelo menos dois dos testes aplicados. Especificamente, 71,4% (n=5) apresentaram alterações nos testes da Bateria Psicológica para Avaliação da Atenção, com comprometimento observado nas atenções concentrada (n=1), dividida (n=3), ou alternada (n=4). Além disso, 28,6% (n=2) demonstraram comprometimento na Fluência Verbal Fonológica, 28,6% (n=2) exibiram dificuldades na cópia da Figura Complexa de Rey e um paciente obteve desempenho alterado no Teste dos Cinco Dígitos, todos indicando disfunção executiva.

Conclusão:

Este estudo fornece evidência de que o declínio cognitivo associado à SVCR é mais prevalente do que se acreditava anteriormente. Especialmente, os domínios mais significativamente comprometidos foram a atenção e as funções executivas.

Palavras-chave:
Vasoconstrição; Disfunção Cognitiva; Neuropsicologia; AVC Isquêmico

INTRODUCTION

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome (RCVS) is characterized by diffuse segmental constriction of the cerebral arteries that spontaneously resolves itself within three months. Typically, it usually begins with acute and greatly intense and explosive headache, known as a thunderclap headache, that can be associated with focal neurological deficits related to swelling or cerebral ischemia11 Ducros A. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Lancet Neurol. 2012;11:906-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(12)70135-7
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(12)70...
. Several names, such as "post-partum angiopathy", "drug-induced angiopathy", and Call-Fleming syndrome, have been given to this condition22 Call GK, Fleming MC, Sealfon S, Levine H, Kistler JP, Fisher CM. Reversible cerebral segmental vasoconstriction. Stroke. 1988;19(9):1159-70. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.19.9.1159
https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.19.9.1159...
44 Bogousslavsky J, Despland PA, Regli F, Dubuis PY. Postpartum cerebral angiopathy: reversible vasoconstriction assessed by transcranial Doppler ultrasounds. Eur Neurol. 1989;29(2):102-5. https://doi.org/10.1159/000116388
https://doi.org/10.1159/000116388...
. However, it was not until 2007 that Calabrese et al. proposed its current name and diagnostic criteria55 Calabrese LH, Dodick DW, Schwedt TJ, Singhal AB. Narrative review: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146(1):34-44. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-1-200701020-00007
https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-1-...
.

The clinical manifestation usually follows an acute and self-limited course without new symptoms after one month66 Ducros A, Boukobza M, Porcher R, Sarov M, Valade D, Bousser MG. The clinical and radiological spectrum of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: a prospective series of 67 patients. Brain. 2007;130(Pt 12):3091-101. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm256
https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm256...
. However, complications and neurological comorbidities may occur during the acute phase of the illness, mainly a few days after the onset of symptoms77 Singhal AB, Hajj-Ali RA, Topcuoglu MA, Fok J, Bena J, Yang D, et al. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes: analysis of 139 cases. Arch Neurol. 2011;68(8):1005-12. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2011.68
https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2011....
. Although most patients recover well and vascular abnormalities reverse spontaneously or after treatment with calcium-channel blockers, complications like extensive ischemic lesions, cerebral swelling, severe morbidity, or death may also occur88 Ducros A, Fiedler U, Porcher R, Boukobza M, Stapf C, Bousser M-G. Hemorrhagic manifestations of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: frequency, features, and risk factors. Stroke. 2010;41(11):2505-11. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.109.572313
https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.109.57...
1111 Williams TL, Lukovits TG, Harris BT, Harker Rhodes C. A fatal case of postpartum cerebral angiopathy with literature review. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2007;275(1):67-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-006-0194-3
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-006-0194-...
.

Yet none of these studies contain information about such cognitive status of the individuals, not even regarding those who had complications and presented persistent and significant neurologic deficits, after the angiopathy recovery. Thus, despite the exponential increase in knowledge about this disease in the past years, little attention has been directed to the neuropsychological aspects of RCVS.

This paucity of substantial evidence gave rise to several inquiries. Firstly, whether cognitive impairment is a rare outcome of the disease or a prevalent issue that has not been adequately studied yet. Secondly, whether there is a discernible pattern in cognitive occurrence among patients with RCVS. And thirdly, the central question is whether RCVS could lead to neuropsychological compromise independently of its complications. Hence, the present study aimed to amplify the understanding of cognitive dysfunctions in patients with RCVS.

METHODS

Participants

Patients diagnosed with RCVS were recruited from practices or public hospitals in the cities of Teresina (PI) and Ribeirão Preto (SP). Those who agreed to participate in the study signed the consent form and underwent a neuropsychological evaluation. This study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Clinical Hospital of Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine (CEP/HCFMRP), with approval number 5.868.394.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age equal to or above 18 years.

  • Definitive diagnosis of RCVS according to criteria defined by Calabrese et al. (2007). Angiography or indirect exam (Angio-MRI or CT) presenting multifocal segmental vasoconstrictions, acute severe headaches with or without neurological focal signs and complete reversibility of image findings after 12 weeks55 Calabrese LH, Dodick DW, Schwedt TJ, Singhal AB. Narrative review: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146(1):34-44. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-1-200701020-00007
    https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-1-...
    .

  • RCVS2 (diagnostic score) applied to all patients1212 Rocha EA, Topcuoglu MA, Silva GS, Singhal AB. RCVS2 score and diagnostic approach for reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Neurology. 2019;92(7):e639-e647. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000006917
    https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.000000000000...
    .

Exclusion criteria

  • Evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with aneurysmatic origin.

  • Patients with cognitive impairment and another cause that justifies its deficits: degenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, typical or atypical parkinsonism, frontotemporal dementia), infectious diseases (neurosyphilis, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]), or metabolic diseases (severe hyperthyroidism, B12 deficiency, or alcohol-related dementia); suggestive findings in image exams that justify the presence of cognitive decline or vascular dementia in any of the subtypes — severe small vessel disease (radiologically defined as Fazekas scale grade II or III), strategic infarcts in cerebral areas or multiple cerebral infarcts — according to the revised criteria of Sachdev et al.1313 Sachdev P, Kalaria R, O’Brien J, Skoog I, Alladi S, Black SE, et al. Diagnostic criteria for vascular cognitive disorders: a VASCOG statement. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2014;28(3):206-18. https://doi.org/10.1097/WAD.0000000000000034
    https://doi.org/10.1097/WAD.000000000000...
    .

  • Presence of confirmed vasculitis by serological or/and imaging tests.

  • Patients with severe depression, defined by Beck depression inventory (BDI), with a score >19, without proper treatment1414 Argimon IIL, Paloski LR, Farina M, Irigaray TQ. Aplicabilidade do Inventário de Depressão de Beck-II em idosos: uma revisão sistemática. Aval Psicol. 2016;15:11-7..

Analyzed clinical and radiological variables

Epidemiological and clinical data were assessed, such as age, gender, and ethnicity; clinical data such as trigger factors or condition of the frame, associated complications, history of the thunderclap headaches at the beginning of the condition, functionality evaluation, previous depression or anxiety, previous migraine, neurological signs, and proposed therapeutic approach; and radiological, namely the presence of alterations in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), presence of initial infarcts, presence of intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH), convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (cSAH), vasogenic edema, condition recurrence, and involved arterial encephalic segments.

Neuropsychological evaluation

Initially, patients underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) as a screening test. The neuropsychological evaluation included a battery of assessments formed by specific psychological and neuropsychological instruments recommended in the literature. The instruments and evaluated cognitive domains are listed below:
  • Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF) test-Animals — semantic fluency assessment1515 Brucki SMD, Malheiros SMF, Okamoto IH, Bertolucci PHF. Dados normativos para o teste de fluência verbal categoria animais em nosso meio. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 1997;55(1):56-61. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0004-282x1997000100009
    https://doi.org/10.1590/s0004-282x199700...
    , also mental and cognitive flexibility related to the frontal lobe and executive functions1616 Rodrigues AB, Yamashita ET, Chiappetta ALML. Teste de fluência verbal no adulto e no idoso: verificação da aprendizagem verbal. Rev CEFAC. 2008;10(4):443-51. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-18462008000400004
    https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-1846200800...
    .

  • Phonological Verbal Fluency (PVF) test — phonological fluency evaluation. It is sensible to evaluate the frontal lobe functions1717 Machado TH, Fichman HC, Santos EL, Carvalho VA, Fialho PP, Koenig AM, et al. Normative data for healthy elderly on the phonemic verbal fluency task - FAS. Dement Neuropsychol. 2009;3(1):55-60. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642009DN30100011
    https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642009DN...
    .

  • Boston Naming Test (BNT) — language assessment in naming aspects and semantic memory1818 Nitrini R, Caramelli P, Herrera Júnior E, Porto CS, Charcat-Fichman H, Carthery MT, et al. Performance of illiterate and literate nondemented elderly subjects in two tests of long-term memory. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2004;10(4):634-8. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1355617704104062
    https://doi.org/10.1017/s135561770410406...
    ,1919 Miotto EC, Sato J, Lucia MCS, Camargo CHP, Scaff M. Development of an adapted version of the Boston Naming Test for Portuguese speakers. Braz J Psychiatry. 2010;32(3):279-82. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-44462010005000006
    https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-4446201000...
    .

  • Five-Digit Test (FDT) — processing speed evaluation of attentiveness and executive functions2020 Sedó M. O teste dos cinco dígitos. São Paulo: Hogrefe CETEPP; 2015..

  • Rey Complex Figure (RCF) — planning, visuo-constructive skills, and non-verbal cognitive function assessment2121 Oliveira MS. Figuras complexas de Rey: teste de cópia e de reprodução de memória de figuras geométricas complexas. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo; 2016..

  • Psychological Battery for Attention Assessment (BPA) — general attention capacity assessment and individually focused attention, divided attention, and alternated attention2222 Rueda FJM. Bateria Psicológica para Avaliação da Atenção (BPA). São Paulo: Vetor; 2013..

  • Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) — assessment of depression symptoms1414 Argimon IIL, Paloski LR, Farina M, Irigaray TQ. Aplicabilidade do Inventário de Depressão de Beck-II em idosos: uma revisão sistemática. Aval Psicol. 2016;15:11-7..

The raw data of these instruments were transformed into Z-scores accordingly with normative values within their age reference and schooling groups. Then it was applied the Shapiro-Wilk test for a normality definition in the sample results. For the normal samples, it was selected a cutoff of −1.5 Z-score as a definition of performance below the normal population. For the samples that did not follow the regular distribution, it was considered an inferior performance result, those below the 10th percentile. Next, those variables were classified above or below the respective cutoff value for impairment. Accordingly, the patients’ performance were considered a categorical variable.

RESULTS

Epidemiological, clinical, and radiological data

Seven patients diagnosed with RCVS were analyzed, of whom 85.7% (n=6) were female. The patients’ average age was 47 standard deviation±13.2, and the most common ethnicity was Latin (42.8%), followed by white and black ethnicity (both 28.6%). Of the total, 71.4% of patients had a trigger condition, and all were taking antidepressants (80.0% serotonergic antidepressants), with only 28.6% using oral decongestants. Regarding the psychiatric disorder, 71.4% had anxiety (n=4) or depression (n=1). Only 28.5% of patients reported previous migraines.

All patients exhibited thunderclap headaches at the beginning of their condition and most (71.4%) had recurrence. Only one patient showed a focal neurological deficit in the condition manifestation, which was characterized by left temporal hemianopsia. One single patient exhibited a completely normal initial imaging exam (CT or MRI). Regarding the radiological findings, 28.5% (n=2) of patients displayed ischemia in initial exams, both at the right occipital location. cSAH in the initial exam was present in 57.1% (n=4) of patients. Only one had IPH in the left occipital location, associated with left parietal cSAH.

Each patient underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) or angioresonance (MRA) imaging as a brain vascular study. Only one did not exhibit initial alteration in the vessels study (MRA), but the presence of recurrent thunderclap headache associated with cSAH, and consequently an RCVS2 score of 7, sustained the diagnosed hypothesis. None of the patients presented internal carotid artery (ICA) intracranial involvement. The most frequently involved arteries were the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA), representing 57.1%, followed by the posterior cerebral artery (PCA), with 42.9%. Apart from the patient who presented no alteration in the initial MRA, all the others exhibited vascular stenosis reversion. All patients displayed a good clinical outcome, demonstrated by modified ranking scale (mRS) scores of zero or one. Interestingly, one patient had a relapse in the condition approximately three years after the initial event.

All patients had an RCVS2 score ≥5. Concerning the appointed treatment, 71.4% (n=5) received nimodipine in the acute phase, one patient received verapamil, and another received other medications. Table 1 summarizes the main clinical/radiological characteristics of the patients.

Table 1
Epidemiological, clinical, and radiological data from the patients.

Neuropsychological evaluation

The transformation of raw data into Z-scores was made, presenting the achievement of each patient individually in each of the neuropsychological tests applied. All patients had bachelor's degrees and normal MMSE scores ≥28. The time average between RCVS diagnosis and neuropsychological evaluation was 1.8±1.05 years.

Among the assessed patients, 85.7% (n=6) exhibited an output below the normal population in at least two of the instruments in one cognitive domain or different ones. Specifically, 71.4% (n=5) showed alterations in tests from the BPA, with impairments observed in concentrated (14.2%), divided (42.3%), or alternating (57.1%) attention. Furthermore, 28.6% (n=2) demonstrated impairments in the PVF task, another 28.6% (n=2) exhibited difficulties copying elements of the RCF, and 14.3% (n=1) displayed lower performance in the FDT, all indicating executive dysfunction. The frequency of compromised performance on these neuropsychological instruments is presented in Figure 1. It can be remarked that none of the patients exhibited alterations in SVF, BNT, and RCF memory.

Figure 1
Number of patients for each compromised performance on neuropsychological tests.

When assessed individually, patients 4, 6, and 7 displayed inferior achievements only in BPA tests; patient 2 exhibited inferior achievement in BPA and RCF (copy); patient 5 presented inferior achievement in PVF, RCF (copy), and BPA. The graph in Figure 2 and Supplementary Materials (https://www.demneuropsy.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DN-2023.0117-Supplementary-Materials.zip) represents the individualized achievement of each patient in the applied neuropsychological tests.

Figure 2
Individual performance of all patients on each neuropsychological test.

DISCUSSION

We described a case series of patients diagnosed with RCVS who underwent neuropsychological evaluation. Most presented an inferior outcome in tests related to attention and executive functions in cognitive domains. To date, only one complete study had addressed this issue, which described a young patient who had multi-domain impairment initiated a few months after the syndrome. There is also a second case report, available only in abstract, which described dysfunction in visuospatial skills beyond what is expected due to the parenchymal lesion formed after resolution of vasoconstriction2323 Smigielski J. Neuropsychological findings in reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome triggered by ascent to high altitude. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2014;29(6):521. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acu038.49
https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acu038.49...
,2424 Perdices M, Herkes G. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2018;28(2):223-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.1257434
https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.12...
.

Our population has characteristics similar to the cohorts described in the literature, especially relating to age average (47 vs 42 years); female prevalence; associated triggers (vasoconstrictor medication and serotonergic antidepressants); clinical presentation (thunderclap headaches); and prognosis, which is favorable in most cases66 Ducros A, Boukobza M, Porcher R, Sarov M, Valade D, Bousser MG. The clinical and radiological spectrum of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: a prospective series of 67 patients. Brain. 2007;130(Pt 12):3091-101. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm256
https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm256...
. Specifically, regarding associated comorbidities (psychiatric disorders), it could be inquired whether these would not alter the neuropsychological performance of the patients, once these disorders may be the cause of cognitive complaints (mostly depression) and since studies suggest that anxiety disorder alone does not cause cognitive decline2525 Leonard K, Abramovitch A. Cognitive functions in young adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Eur Psychiatr. 2019;56:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.10.008
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.10...
. However, of the five patients that took antidepressants, four were prescribed because of anxiety disorder and only one because of depression; besides, all were being treated for at least six months. The patient with depression presented with a BDI-II <19 and was receiving adequate treatment for more than six months.

Concerning radiological findings, most patients (n=4) had hemorrhagic complications, with three of them presenting cSAH alone and one presenting cSAH and IPH, in the locations occipito-parietal and parietal, respectively, both of small volume and occurring in the left hemisphere. Curiously, this patient was the only that presented no alteration on the neuropsychological tests. RCVS is commonly associated with hemorrhagic complications, the main one being cSAH followed by IPH, and is rarely associated with cerebral ischemia2626 Topcuoglu MA, Singhal AB. Hemorrhagic reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: features and mechanisms. Stroke. 2016;47(7):1742-7. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.116.013136
https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.116.01...
. In our study, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of neuropsychological test results in patients with cSAH, revealing that three out of four exhibited cognitive performance alterations. This intriguing finding raises questions about the relationship between the location of cSAH and cognitive decline in individuals diagnosed with RCVS. While it is established that spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage is linked to cognitive decline, the evidence connecting cSAH to cognitive decline beyond cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) remains limited2727 Al-Khindi T, Macdonald RL, Schweizer TA. Cognitive and functional outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Stroke. 2010;41(8):e519-36. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.581975
https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.58...
. However, it is crucial to emphasize that our findings do not definitively establish a causal link between cSAH and cognitive decline in RCVS patients. The extent to which cSAH may contribute to cognitive impairment in individuals with RCVS remains uncertain, and further research is needed to explore this potential association.

In the context of neuropsychological aspects, in our study, it is important to highlight that the relatively good performance observed in the MMSE within our sample may be due to its lower sensitivity in individuals with higher education levels, as well as its limited assessment of attention and executive functions2828 Kochhann R, Varela JS, Lisboa CSM, Chaves MLF. The Mini Mental State Examination: review of cutoff points adjusted for schooling in a large Southern Brazilian sample. Dement Neuropsychol. 2010;4(1):35-41. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642010DN40100006
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642010DN...
,2929 Fu C, Jin X, Chen B, Xue F, Niu H, Guo R, et al. Comparison of the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment executive subtests in detecting post-stroke cognitive impairment. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2017;17(12):2329-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.13069
https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.13069...
.

This emphasizes the necessity of including comprehensive neuropsychological assessments when evaluating patients with RCVS who report cognitive complaints. Additionally, we acknowledge the potential limitation of our study, which is the approximately 1.8-year gap between the onset of symptoms and the administration of neuropsychological assessments. This duration might have led to an underestimation of cognitive decline, particularly in light of findings from Perdices and Herkes2424 Perdices M, Herkes G. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2018;28(2):223-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.1257434
https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.12...
, suggesting that cognitive decline can manifest significantly within the first few months following the event. To definitively address this concern, a prospective study conducted immediately after the resolution of the RCVS condition would be required.

Nevertheless, the persistence of cognitive impairment beyond one year in our cohort raises the possibility that this clinical finding could be associated with persistent post-RCVS symptoms. Notably, previous research has demonstrated a 50% prevalence of headache persisting after three months of vasoconstriction resolution, with half of these patients requiring drug therapies for up to two years3030 Ling YH, Wang YF, Lirng JF, Fuh JL, Wang SJ, Chen SP. Post-reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome headache. J Headache Pain. 2021;22(1):14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-021-01223-9
https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-021-01223...
. Given our study's primary goal of assessing chronic and potentially permanent cognitive decline associated with RCVS, we believe that our chosen timeframe was appropriate.

The main affected cognitive domain of patients was attention, evaluated by BPA tests (Figure 1). Attention is a cognitive domain that has a complex organization of multiple cerebral networks. Among them, is the dorsal attention network, associated with attention's external direction, related to the prefrontal cortex, ventral premotor, parietal, and temporal; the network "default mode", related to attention's internal direction, associated with the prefrontal ventromedial area, inferior parietal and posterior cingulate cortex; and the executive frontoparietal network that involves the lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and inferior parietal3131 Corbetta M, Shulman GL. Control of goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention in the brain. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2002;3(3):201-15. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn755
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn755...
,3232 Vincent JL, Kahn I, Snyder AZ, Raichle ME, Buckner RL. Evidence for a frontoparietal control system revealed by intrinsic functional connectivity. J Neurophysiol. 2008;100(6):3328-42. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.90355.2008
https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.90355.2008...
.

Next, the PVF and RCF tests exhibited a higher prevalence of abnormal performance (Figure 1); the fluency tests are essentially used for measuring executive function, and the PVF is sensible to assess frontal lobe functions, especially the left pre-frontal areas. However, as previously mentioned, RCF is a test that allows the assessment of several domains such as visuoconstructive functions, executive functions, and visual memory1616 Rodrigues AB, Yamashita ET, Chiappetta ALML. Teste de fluência verbal no adulto e no idoso: verificação da aprendizagem verbal. Rev CEFAC. 2008;10(4):443-51. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-18462008000400004
https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-1846200800...
,2020 Sedó M. O teste dos cinco dígitos. São Paulo: Hogrefe CETEPP; 2015.. Particularly on the figure copying task, there is a specific recruitment of cognitive functions, like operative memory, inhibitory control, sustained attention, deep concentration, and information organization. These activities are intimately related to the frontal lobe functions and their connections, especially with the occipital and parietal, and they are related to executive functions3232 Vincent JL, Kahn I, Snyder AZ, Raichle ME, Buckner RL. Evidence for a frontoparietal control system revealed by intrinsic functional connectivity. J Neurophysiol. 2008;100(6):3328-42. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.90355.2008
https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.90355.2008...
,3333 Cruz VLP, Toni PM, Oliveira DM. As funções executivas na Figura Complexa de Rey: Relação entre planejamento e memória nas fases do teste. Bol Psicol. 2011;61(134):17-30.. Therefore, it is likely that the affected cognitive domains in these patients are the executive functions and the visuoconstructive ability with relative preservation of non-verbal memory. Yet there were no patients with alterations in evocation (second stage) of the RCF test.

Lastly, only one patient presented an abnormal performance at FDT, which assesses, among other abilities, the attention interference effect (Stroop effect), using conflicting information about numbers and quantities2020 Sedó M. O teste dos cinco dígitos. São Paulo: Hogrefe CETEPP; 2015.. The compromise in inhibitory control for cognitive interference is common in executive dysfunction, which was also evident in the PVF alteration in this same patient (5). None of the patients presented abnormal performance in BNT and in the memory of RCF. Thus, in our population, cognitive functions of language and visual memory, at first, seemed preserved. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the most affected cognitive domains in our population were attention and executive functions — both primarily located in the frontal lobe. The profile of neuropsychological impairment in this study differs from the report by Perdices and Herkes2424 Perdices M, Herkes G. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2018;28(2):223-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.1257434
https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.12...
, which besides presenting selective executive function deficits and a mild attentional deficit, revealed a severe decline in learning, delayed recall, and autobiographical memory. Possibly, we did not observe similar patterns in our patient group due to the absence of a more in-depth investigation into learning and memory.

Furthermore, despite the wide age range in our population (30–65 years), our average age closely aligns with that reported in the RCVS literature. We constructed the neuropsychological battery using tests with normative values adjusted for age and education, suggesting that age was not a decisive factor in cognitive decline. The elderly patient in our sample also performed satisfactorily in tests assessing various cognitive domains (excluding attention), suggesting the absence of other common causes of cognitive decline in individuals of this age group.

Regarding the physiopathological mechanism, current literature does not allow the establishment of neuropathological bases of how RCVS would cause cognitive impairment independently of its structural complications, but it is possible an association with cerebral vasoconstriction, as suggested by Perdices and Herkes2424 Perdices M, Herkes G. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2018;28(2):223-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.1257434
https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.12...
. In our population, as described, the main cerebral region related to inferior performance in the neuropsychological tests was the frontal lobe, and six patients presented involvement of arteries of anterior circulation (ACA, MCA, or both). However, since it regards complex cerebral functions, in which there is a wide neuron network involved, it is hard to establish a precise cause between the cognitive domains and impaired arteries.

If in the macroscopic field, the answer is uncertain, the molecular field can provide some clarification. It is known that the vasoconstriction action of catecholamines and endothelin-1 in the abrupt deregulation of cerebral vascular tonus is one of the component mechanisms of RCVS’ proposed physiopathology3434 Chen SP, Wang SJ. Pathophysiology of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. J Biomed Sci. 2022;29(1):72. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-022-00857-4
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-022-00857...
. Besides, an experimental study with rats assessed the effect of intraventricular injection of endothelin-1 on the cognitive performance of these animals, and after seven days from the injection, there was an episodic memory decline. It also exhibited the reduction in CD31 expression in endothelial cells in the vessels surrounding the hippocampus and the "downregulation" of the cell signaling cascade proteins Akt1-mTOR, which led to the loss of activity-dependent protein translation, an essential factor in synaptic activity. Thus, this study shows that vasoconstriction may lead to cognitive function decline and poses protein translation as a key mechanism in synaptic plasticity. Curiously, this effect reverted after 30 days3535 Diwakar L, Gowaikar R, Chithanathan K, Gnanabharathi B, Tomar DS, Ravindranath V. Endothelin-1 mediated vasoconstriction leads to memory impairment and synaptic dysfunction. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):4868. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84258-x
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84258...
. Still, in the molecular field, there has been a significant growth in the physiopathology of neurological diseases and microribonucleic acids (miRNAs). The miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and are, presently, promising targets for interventions and mighty cell function regulators. Recently, some specific miRNAs were associated with hematoencephalic barrier dysfunction and cerebral vasomotor tonus loss in patients with RCVS3636 Chen SP, Chang YA, Chou CH, Juan CC, Lee HC, Chen LK, et al. Circulating microRNAs Associated With Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome. Ann Neurol. 2021;89(3):459-73. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.25965
https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.25965...
. Besides, evidence suggests a central role of miRNAs in mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of vascular dementia, like in the regulating function of hematoencephalic barrier, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation; and this has indicated these structures as potential biomarkers for cognitive decline3737 Zhai W, Zhao M, Zhang G, Wang Z, Wei C, Sun L. MicroRNA-based diagnosis and therapeutics for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Front Neurol. 2022;13:895316. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.895316
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.89531...
. Thus, miRNAs may be involved in the decline mechanisms associated with RCVS.

Our results should be interpreted in the context of the study design. First, the small number of patients hinders any analytical statistics, although the rarity of the disease makes studies with large populations difficult. Second, some cognitive domains were less represented by our neuropsychological test battery, like visuospatial functions and verbal memory, although they have been assessed indirectly. Further studies with a larger population and representativeness of the cognitive domains are necessary to clarify more about cognitive dysfunction in RCVS patients.

In conclusion, this study provides evidence that cognitive impairment associated with RCVS is more prevalent than previously believed and has not received sufficient attention. Importantly, attention and executive functions are the cognitive domains most significantly impacted by RCVS. These results underscore the need for increased recognition and consideration of cognitive deficits in patients with RCVS to ensure appropriate management and intervention strategies.

  • This study was conducted by Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
  • Funding: none.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    08 July 2024
  • Date of issue
    2024

History

  • Received
    09 Dec 2023
  • Reviewed
    04 Feb 2024
  • Accepted
    29 Feb 2024
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E-mail: revistadementia@abneuro.org.br | demneuropsy@uol.com.br