Cardiac arrest survivors’ self-reported cognitive function, and its association with self-reported health status, psychological distress, and life satisfaction—a Swedish nationwide registry study
(2025) In Resuscitation 209. p.1-8- Abstract
Aim: Self-reported cognitive function has been described as an important complement to performance-based measurements but has seldom been investigated in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors. Therefore, the aim was to describe self-reported cognitive function and its association with health status, psychological distress, and life satisfaction.
Methods: This study utilised data from the Swedish Register of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (2018–2021), registered 3–6 months post-CA. Cognitive function was assessed by a single question: “How do you experience your memory, concentration, and/or planning abilities today compared to before the cardiac arrest?”. Health status was measured using the EQ VAS, psychological distress with the... (More)
Aim: Self-reported cognitive function has been described as an important complement to performance-based measurements but has seldom been investigated in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors. Therefore, the aim was to describe self-reported cognitive function and its association with health status, psychological distress, and life satisfaction.
Methods: This study utilised data from the Swedish Register of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (2018–2021), registered 3–6 months post-CA. Cognitive function was assessed by a single question: “How do you experience your memory, concentration, and/or planning abilities today compared to before the cardiac arrest?”. Health status was measured using the EQ VAS, psychological distress with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and overall life satisfaction with the Life Satisfaction checklist. Data were analysed using binary logistic regression.
Results: Among 4026 identified survivors, 1254 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 65.9 years (SD = 13.4) and 31.7% were female. Self-reported cognitive function among survivors was reported as: ‘Much worse’ by 3.1%, ‘Worse’ by 23.8%, ‘Unchanged’ by 68.3%, ‘Better’ by 3.3%, and ‘Much better’ by 1.5%. Declined cognitive function was associated with lower health status (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 2.09–3.64), symptoms of anxiety (OR = 3.84, 95% CI = 2.80–5.24) and depression (OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 3.22–6.32), and being dissatisfied with overall life (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 2.11–3.54). These associations remained significant after age, sex, place of CA, aetiology, initial rhythm, initial witnessed status, and cerebral performance were controlled.
Conclusions: Survivors experiencing declined cognitive function post-CA are at a higher risk of poorer health status, increased psychological distress, and reduced life satisfaction, and these risks should be acknowledged by healthcare professionals.
(Less)- Abstract (Swedish)
- Aim: Self-reported cognitive function has been described as an important complement to performance-based measurements but has seldom been investigated in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors. Therefore, the aim was to describe self-reported cognitive function and its association with health status, psychological distress, and life satisfaction.
Methods: This study utilised data from the Swedish Register of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (2018–2021), registered 3–6 months post-CA. Cognitive function was assessed by a single question: “How do you experience your memory, concentration, and/or planning abilities today compared to before the cardiac arrest?”. Health status was measured using the EQ VAS, psychological distress with the Hospital... (More) - Aim: Self-reported cognitive function has been described as an important complement to performance-based measurements but has seldom been investigated in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors. Therefore, the aim was to describe self-reported cognitive function and its association with health status, psychological distress, and life satisfaction.
Methods: This study utilised data from the Swedish Register of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (2018–2021), registered 3–6 months post-CA. Cognitive function was assessed by a single question: “How do you experience your memory, concentration, and/or planning abilities today compared to before the cardiac arrest?”. Health status was measured using the EQ VAS, psychological distress with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and overall life satisfaction with the Life Satisfaction checklist. Data were analysed using binary logistic regression.
Results: Among 4026 identified survivors, 1254 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 65.9 years (SD = 13.4) and 31.7% were female. Self-reported cognitive function among survivors was reported as: ‘Much worse’ by 3.1%, ‘Worse’ by 23.8%, ‘Unchanged’ by 68.3%, ‘Better’ by 3.3%, and ‘Much better’ by 1.5%. Declined cognitive function was associated with lower health status (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 2.09–3.64), symptoms of anxiety (OR = 3.84, 95% CI = 2.80–5.24) and depression (OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 3.22–6.32), and being dissatisfied with overall life (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 2.11–3.54). These associations remained significant after age, sex, place of CA, aetiology, initial rhythm, initial witnessed status, and cerebral performance were controlled.
Conclusions: Survivors experiencing declined cognitive function post-CA are at a higher risk of poorer health status, increased psychological distress, and reduced life satisfaction, and these risks should be acknowledged by healthcare professionals. (Less)
- author
- Larsson, Karin
; Hjelm, Carina
; Strömberg, Anna
; Israelsson, Johan
; Bremer, Anders
; Agerström, Jens
LU
; Carlsson, Nina
; Tsoukala, Dionysia
; Blennow Nordström, Erik
LU
and Årestedt, Kristofer LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-04
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Cognitive function, Health status, Heart arrest, Life satisfaction, Psychological distress, Registry study, cognitive function, health status, heart arrest, life satisfaction, psychological distress, registry study
- in
- Resuscitation
- volume
- 209
- article number
- 110550
- pages
- 1 - 8
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39970976
- scopus:85219138153
- ISSN
- 0300-9572
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2025.110550
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- We are grateful to all the survivors contributing their experiences to the SRCR. We would like to acknowledge the cardiac rehabilitation nurses and resuscitation coordinators who are collecting and entering variables into the registry.
- id
- a3b6279f-8b03-4f06-a7c3-917550fe9b05
- date added to LUP
- 2025-04-10 13:30:13
- date last changed
- 2025-07-04 09:47:37
@article{a3b6279f-8b03-4f06-a7c3-917550fe9b05, abstract = {{<p>Aim: Self-reported cognitive function has been described as an important complement to performance-based measurements but has seldom been investigated in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors. Therefore, the aim was to describe self-reported cognitive function and its association with health status, psychological distress, and life satisfaction. </p><p>Methods: This study utilised data from the Swedish Register of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (2018–2021), registered 3–6 months post-CA. Cognitive function was assessed by a single question: “How do you experience your memory, concentration, and/or planning abilities today compared to before the cardiac arrest?”. Health status was measured using the EQ VAS, psychological distress with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and overall life satisfaction with the Life Satisfaction checklist. Data were analysed using binary logistic regression.</p><p>Results: Among 4026 identified survivors, 1254 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 65.9 years (SD = 13.4) and 31.7% were female. Self-reported cognitive function among survivors was reported as: ‘Much worse’ by 3.1%, ‘Worse’ by 23.8%, ‘Unchanged’ by 68.3%, ‘Better’ by 3.3%, and ‘Much better’ by 1.5%. Declined cognitive function was associated with lower health status (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 2.09–3.64), symptoms of anxiety (OR = 3.84, 95% CI = 2.80–5.24) and depression (OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 3.22–6.32), and being dissatisfied with overall life (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 2.11–3.54). These associations remained significant after age, sex, place of CA, aetiology, initial rhythm, initial witnessed status, and cerebral performance were controlled.</p><p>Conclusions: Survivors experiencing declined cognitive function post-CA are at a higher risk of poorer health status, increased psychological distress, and reduced life satisfaction, and these risks should be acknowledged by healthcare professionals.</p>}}, author = {{Larsson, Karin and Hjelm, Carina and Strömberg, Anna and Israelsson, Johan and Bremer, Anders and Agerström, Jens and Carlsson, Nina and Tsoukala, Dionysia and Blennow Nordström, Erik and Årestedt, Kristofer}}, issn = {{0300-9572}}, keywords = {{Cognitive function; Health status; Heart arrest; Life satisfaction; Psychological distress; Registry study; cognitive function; health status; heart arrest; life satisfaction; psychological distress; registry study}}, language = {{eng}}, pages = {{1--8}}, publisher = {{Elsevier}}, series = {{Resuscitation}}, title = {{Cardiac arrest survivors’ self-reported cognitive function, and its association with self-reported health status, psychological distress, and life satisfaction—a Swedish nationwide registry study}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2025.110550}}, doi = {{10.1016/j.resuscitation.2025.110550}}, volume = {{209}}, year = {{2025}}, }