Long-term Neurocognitive Sequelae of Subclinical Microembolization During Carotid Interventions

Inclusion criteria

• Patient is male or female >40 yrs of age.
• Patient has occlusive extracranial carotid stenosis (≥70%)
• Patient is scheduled to undergo an endovascular intervention of a lesion in the extracranial carotid artery
• Patient agrees to voluntarily participate and signs an informed consent.
• Patient agrees to be available for follow-up and is able to participate in all study testing procedures.
• Patient has sufficient visual and auditory acuity for cognitive testing.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient is unable to safely and comfortably undergo magnetic resonance imaging procedures (e.g., claustrophobia, implanted medical devices that are MRI incompatible such as pacemaker, defibrillator, neural stimulator etc)
• Patient has an untreated or unsuccessfully controlled psychiatric disease (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder).
• Patient has prominent suicidal or homicidal ideation.
• Patient has acute illness or unstable chronic illness (e.g. uncontrolled hypertension, hepatic encephalopathy, portal hypertension, ascites, and esophageal varices, pancreatitis).
• Patient with a history of neurological (e.g., multiple sclerosis, seizure disorder, Parkinson's disease) or systemic illness affecting central nervous system function.
• Patient has prior closed head injury with ≥24 hours of amnesia.
• Patient is unable to understand or sign the informed consent.