Organic psychiatric disorders after aneurysmal SAH: outcome and associations with age, bleeding severity, and arterial hypertension

OBJECTIVES: The Lindqvist & Malmgren's system was used to describe the outcome of organic psychiatric disorders (OPDs) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and their associations with age, bleeding severity, and pre-existing arterial hypertension (preAH). MATERIAL AND METHOD: OPDs were diagnosed at 3, 6, and 12 months after aSAH in a prospective cohort study (n=63). Reaction level (RLS85), World Federation of Neurological Surgeons Committee SAH scale (WFNS), Fisher, and hydrocephalus grades were assessed at admission. RESULTS: At 3/6/12 months, 60/49/38% had an Astheno-emotional disorder (AED), 4/5/5% had emotional-motivational blunting disorder (EMD) and 19/19/16% had Korsakoffs amnestic disorder (KAD). AED was associated with preAH, whereas EMD/KAD, but not AED, was associated with a higher mean age, worse median RLS85 levels, WFNS grades, and Fisher grades. CONCLUSIONS: OPDs were diagnosed in 59% of the patients at 12 months after aSAH. AED, the most common OPD, had the highest recovery rate and was associated with preAH. Use of organic psychiatric diagnoses for evaluation of outcome after aSAH and other brain injuries is encouraged.