Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Clinical Presentation and Neuropsychological Outcome

Abstract

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) following ruptured intracranial aneurysm affects 28,000 people each year in the United States. Despite advances in surgical treatment and a significant reduction in mortality over the past two decades, SAH remains a devastating disease. Although most survivors are free of physical handicap, a large percentage suffer from significant long-term cognitive and emotional disturbances. These may include deficits in memory, executive function, attention and concentration, psychomotor speed, language, anxiety, and depression. The severity of these deficits is attested to by the fact that over 50% of patients employed full time before SAH do not return to the same level of work. This article presents a review of the clinical presentation of SAH and the significant areas of neurological and cognitive dysfunction that occur after the hemorrhage.