The use of a stent to open a blocked carotid (neck) artery, even in a patient without symptoms, often leads to an improvement in brain function, according to a presentation this week at a medical conference in Hollywood, Florida. After performing carotid stenting, "nearly half of patients experience long-term, statistically significant improvements in memory, judgment, and reasoning," study presenter Dr. Rodney Raabe of Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, told Reuters Health. Here's the entire article.