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Neuropsychological aspects of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome

Authors :
Ícaro Araújo de Sousa
Analina de Freitas Azevedo
Arthur de Oliveira Veras
Marx Lima de Barros-Araújo
Elizeu Pereira dos Santos Neto
Maria Andreia da Nóbrega Marques
Maria Paula Foss
Raimundo Pereira Silva-Néto
Irapuá Ferreira Ricarte
Octávio Marques Pontes-Neto
Source :
Dementia & Neuropsychologia, Vol 18 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
Associação Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento, 2024.

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Despite the increasing knowledge in the past years, only minimal attention has been directed to the neuropsychological aspects and the prevalence of cognitive impairment associated with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). Objective: To describe the frequency and expand the understanding of cognitive dysfunction in RCVS. Methods: The neuropsychological evaluation was performed using a battery consisting of specific neuropsychological instruments that were administered to patients diagnosed with RCVS. A triage was conducted to exclude other potential causes of cognitive impairment. Performance on the tests was treated as a categorical variable, and a cutoff of −1.5 Z-score was adopted to indicate impaired performance. Results: Seven patients diagnosed with RCVS were evaluated, all of whom had a bachelor's degree and normal score in the Mini-Mental State Examination. The average time between diagnosis and neuropsychological evaluation was 1.8 years. Among the patients, 85.6% (n=6) exhibited performance below that of the normal population in at least two of the administered tests. Specifically, 71.4% (n=5) showed alterations in tests from the Psychological Battery for Attention Assessment, with impairment observed in concentrated (n=1), divided (n=3), or alternating (n=4) attention. Furthermore, 28.6% (n=2) demonstrated impairments in the Phonological Verbal Fluency Task, another 28.6% (n=2) exhibited difficulties copying elements of the Rey Complex Figure, and 14.3% (n=1) displayed lower performance in the Five-Digit test, all indicating executive dysfunction. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that cognitive impairment associated with RCVS is more prevalent than previously believed and has not received sufficient attention. Specifically, attention and executive functions are the cognitive domains most significantly impacted by RCVS.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19805764
Volume :
18
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Dementia & Neuropsychologia
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.933cb7b883cd49e1978c06a5bedb20f8
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2023-0117