Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients and Associated Factors.

BACKGROUND

Cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with chronic kidney disease, including those treated with renal replacement therapy, is a growing problem worldwide.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of CI and associated factors in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 18 consecutive patients with PD therapy and 15 controls were evaluated for CI using the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE III) test.

RESULTS

The prevalence of CI was 33% in patients and 27% in the control group and was not statistically significant. A higher prevalence of CI was found in subjects aged ≥65 years old than in those <65 years old (p = 0.02), but only in the control group. The prevalence of CI in PD patients over and under 65 years of age did not differ statistically significantly (p = 0.12). Memory and verbal fluency were the most affected cognitive domain in PD patients with CI (p = 0.00, p = 0.04, respectively). There was a significant correlation between higher educated PD patients and the ACE III test results. The duration of dialysis did not affect the results of the cognitive screening test.

CONCLUSIONS

CI is a growing problem in the course of chronic kidney disease and dialysis therapy. It seems that cognitive problems may occur in patients undergoing PD at a younger age than in the general population with particularly affected memory and verbal fluency. Higher educated patients score better on the cognitive screening test.