RESEARCH - Cognitive impairment in RA

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Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 2004, 26(5): 339

ISSN 0379-0355

Copyright 2004 Prous Science

CCC: 0379-0355

DOI: 10.1358/mf.2004.26.5.831324

Cognitive impairment in rheumatoid arthritis

Appenzeller, S., Bertolo, M.B., Costallat, L.T.

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of

cognitive impairment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A

cross-sectional study of 40 patients with RA and 40 healthy controls

was performed. To assess cognitive impairment, anxiety and depression,

the following standardized psychiatric and clinical research methods

were used: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), logic memory

tests, short and long memory tests, verbal fluency tests, attention

tests, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Hospital Anxiety

and Depression (HAD)/CAGE scale and the Beck Depression Inventory

(BDI). Patients and controls with incomplete primary education were

excluded from the study. Statistics were performed by chi-square test

and by Fisher's exact test. Cognitive impairment was observed in 30%

of patients with RA and in 7.5% (p < 0.05) of healthy controls.

Patients with RA had a significantly worse outcome in verbal fluency

(p < 0.05), logic memory (p < 0.05) and short memory (p < 0.05). No

statistical difference was observed among the results obtained in the

MMSE, BPRS, HAD/CAGE and BDI. There was no significant relation to the

duration of the illness, use of corticotherapy or disability. We

observed a high prevalence of cognitive impairment in RA patients.

Cognitive impairment was not related to clinical and treatment

features or disability. More studies are necessary to determine

clinical impact of cognitive impairment in RA.

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