Pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin therapy may induce working memory disturbances in chronic hepatitis C patients

[Guest guest]

Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2008 Nov-Dec;30(6):501-8. Epub 2008 Oct 2.

Pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin therapy may induce working memory

disturbances in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Pawelczyk T, Pawelczyk A, Strzelecki D, Rabe-Jablonska J.

Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz,

8/10 Czechos³owacka Street, 92-216 Lodz, Poland. tpawelczyk@...

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine the effect of 12-week pegylated

IFNalpha plus ribavirin (peg-IFNalpha/RBV) treatment on cognitive performance in

chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. METHOD: Forty-seven CHC patients were

consecutively enrolled and divided into two groups: active treatment and control

(26 and 21 participants, respectively). Treatment-group patients received

peg-IFNalpha/RBV treatment for 48 weeks in standard doses. Control-group

patients did not receive the above treatment. Both groups underwent

neuropsychological examination at the beginning and after 12 weeks of treatment

or observation. Neuropsychological evaluation consisted of Stroop Color-Word

Test and Trail Making Test. RESULTS: Cognitive performance decreased

significantly in the treatment group after 12 weeks of combination therapy,

which was not seen in the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that

peg-IFNalpha/RBV therapy of CHC patients is related to cognitive performance

decline and is a result of IFNalpha-induced neurotransmission abnormalities in

the limbic system, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex.

PMID: 19061675 [PubMed - in process]

[Guest guest]

Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2008 Nov-Dec;30(6):501-8. Epub 2008 Oct 2.

Pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin therapy may induce working memory

disturbances in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Pawelczyk T, Pawelczyk A, Strzelecki D, Rabe-Jablonska J.

Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz,

8/10 Czechos³owacka Street, 92-216 Lodz, Poland. tpawelczyk@...

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine the effect of 12-week pegylated

IFNalpha plus ribavirin (peg-IFNalpha/RBV) treatment on cognitive performance in

chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. METHOD: Forty-seven CHC patients were

consecutively enrolled and divided into two groups: active treatment and control

(26 and 21 participants, respectively). Treatment-group patients received

peg-IFNalpha/RBV treatment for 48 weeks in standard doses. Control-group

patients did not receive the above treatment. Both groups underwent

neuropsychological examination at the beginning and after 12 weeks of treatment

or observation. Neuropsychological evaluation consisted of Stroop Color-Word

Test and Trail Making Test. RESULTS: Cognitive performance decreased

significantly in the treatment group after 12 weeks of combination therapy,

which was not seen in the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that

peg-IFNalpha/RBV therapy of CHC patients is related to cognitive performance

decline and is a result of IFNalpha-induced neurotransmission abnormalities in

the limbic system, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex.

PMID: 19061675 [PubMed - in process]