Subacute Subclinical Brain Infarctions after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Negatively Impact Cognitive Function in Long-Term Follow-Up

AIMS: To date every post-procedural cerebrovascular embolic event (CVE) is dreaded for its potential to accelerate cognitive decline after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This study differentiates the impact of acute (procedural) and post-acute cerebrovascular embolic events (CVEs) on cognitive performance. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before, early and late after TAVI was performed to quantify embolic burden. Quantification of diffusion- and T1-weighted lesions, as well as white-matter and total brain volumes, as well as cognitive function testing (MMSE) were assessed in 28 patients with a medium follow-up period of 34 months. RESULTS: Procedural diffusion-weighted lesions were observed in 17 patients (61%), but demonstrated locoregional remnants only in a minority of patients in long-term follow-up (6.5%). Acute CVEs did not impact the trajectory of late silent brain infarctions (SBI), white-matter hyperintensities, and cerebral atrophy. Functionally, early CVEs did not affect cognitive function. In contrast, patients with “new” SBIs after TAVI had a trend to cognitive deterioration in long-term follow-up (“new”SBI: MMSE -1.4 / no “new”SBI: MMSE +1.5, p = 0.067). Interestingly, only a fraction of these “new” SBIs evolved from procedural CVEs (22.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Aquired SBIs after TAVI, but not DW-CVE per se are associated with functional impairment long-term after TAVI. In the context of subacute thrombosis seen in TAVI prostheses, these findings set the stage for tailored stroke prevention and comprehensive surrogate endpoint definitions in neuroprotective trials.