Abstract

Paper is devoted to the medical neuropsychology of cardiovascular diseases. Discussed diseases were: cardiac arrest, coronary artery bypass grafting, especially developed was a nature of cognitive problems and their neuroanatomical correlates resulting from hypertension and atherosclerosis. Author described mentioned diseases in terms of mechanism that leads to brain dysfunctions and a profile of neuropsychological changes. A separated aspect, but connected to the neuropsychological characteristics of cardiovascular diseases, was a hypothetical impact of cognitive decline in adaptation process (or maladjustment) to illness and inability to following medical advices, that is the problem of non-adherence from the standpoint of medical neuropsychology.