Full text
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| Author(s): |
Carolina Trebi Penatti
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | Ribeirão Preto. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) |
| Defense date: | 2011-10-24 |
| Examining board members: |
Osvaldo Massaiti Takayanagui;
Vitor Tumas
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| Advisor: | Osvaldo Massaiti Takayanagui |
| Abstract | |
Introduction: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most frequent parasitic disease of the central nervous system (CNS), affecting more than 50 million people. However, some its clinical findings, such as cognitive impairment, are is an aspect little studied in the literature and remain poorly characterized. Aim: Assess the cognitive performance of patients with NCC and compare the performance of this group healthy controls (HC) and cryptogenic epilepsy (CE) patients. The study also aimed to relate the findings with the morphological type, number, location of cysticerci and development phase of the parasite. Methods: thirty-two patients (mean age = 45.2 ± 10.2 years) with diagnosis of NCC, with or without specific treatment and in both stages of parasite development (active and inactive forms) underwent a cognitive evaluation, constituted of ten tests. They were then compared to HC 32 and 24 CE, matched for age, gender and educational level. Results: NCC patients presented cognitive impairment compared to healthy controls in tasks of visual memory, immediate and recent logical memory. NCC patients and the HC presented a higher cognitive performance, compared to CE, in tests involving attention, working memory and reflective praxis. There was no statistically significant difference in cognitive performance among the three groups on cognitive tests that assessed ideomotor and constructional praxis, calculation and capacity for abstraction and trial. No correlation was found between changes in cognitive tests of patients NCC and number of lesions and stage of parasite development. Regarding to the morphological type, it was observed that individuals with the racemose form a lower performance in tests of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), when compared to those who had the simple cystic form. Regarding location of cysticerci, it was noted that individuals with parenchymal lesions showed lower scores in the Famous Faces Test and recent test of logical memory when compared to those with lesions in the ventricular and subarachnoid space. Conclusions: The cognitive decline was a very frequent clinical manifestation in our sample of patients NCC. This data provide a better understanding of the broader clinical manifestations in patients with NCC (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 09/03677-6 - Assessment of cognitive function of patients with Neurocysticercosis |
| Grantee: | Carolina Trebi Penatti |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Master |