Carotid endarterectomy: does it improve cognitive or motor functioning?

In a group of 20 patients who were to undergo endarterectomy for atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the internal carotid artery, the stenosis did not appear to have resulted in cognitive or motor deficits. Consistent with this finding, surgery could not be shown to have a beneficial effect on cognitive or motor functioning. Control data were supplied by 20 patients who underwent peripheral vascular surgery and 20 healthy subjects. The test-retest interval was 10 weeks.