Kinematic measures provide useful information after Intracranial Aneurysm Treatment (IAT)

Current methods of assessing the outcomes of Intracranial Aneurysm Treatment (IAT) for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage (aSAH) are relatively insensitive, and thus unlikely to detect subtle deficits. Failures to identify cognitive and motor outcomes of IAT might prevent delivery of optimal post-operative care. There are also concerns over risks associated with using IAT as a preventative measure. We explored whether our kinematic tool would yield useful information regarding motor/cognitive function in patients who underwent IAT for aSAH or Unruptured Aneurysm (UA). Computerised kinematic motor and learning tasks were administered alongside standardised clinical outcome measures of cognition and functional ability, in ten patients, as a pilot trial. Tests at post-IAT discharge and six-week follow-up were compared to see which measures detected changes. Kinematic tests captured significant improvements from discharge to six-week follow-up, indexed by reduced motor errors and improved learning. Increased Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised scores reflected some recovery of memory function for most individuals, but other standardised cognitive measures, functional outcome scores and a psychological questionnaire showed no changes. Kinematic measures can identify variation in performance in individuals with only slightly improved abilities post-IAT. These measures may provide a sensitive way to explore postoperative outcomes following IAT, or other similar surgical procedures.