Evaluation of the cognitive and affective status in hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure

Abstract

Introduction. Hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure, suffer from affective dysfunction to a variable extent. The aim of our study was to evaluate the cognitive and affective status in patients before and after hemodialysis. Apart from this, the goal of the study was to examine and compare the cognitive status of patients on dialysis in relation to the control group, but also in relation to laboratory parameters. Material and Methods. This research was a prospective study including 30 hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure treated at the Department of Nephrology of the Health Center in Kosovska Mitrovica. The cognitive status of the subjects was evaluated by determining the simple reaction time to auditory and visual stimuli before and after hemodialysis sessions and using the Mini Mental Status Examination, while the affective status was evaluated by using the Beck Depression Inventory. Results. The analysis of the obtained results showed a statistically significantly lower auditory and visual simple reaction times (p = 0.014) after dialysis (p = 0.023). The results have confirmed a statistically significantly decreased simple reaction time to visual stimuli (p = 0.001), while a statistical significance (p = 0.137) was not obtained for the auditory stimuli when compared to the control group. The Mini Mental Status Examination and the Beck Depression Inventory did not indicate a significant cognitive status damage or presence of depression. Conclusion. The importance of hemodialysis in the improvement of cognitive function is clearly evident, even though the general state of cognitive status in patients on hemodialysis is lower compared to the healthy population. Evaluation of the cognitive and affective status using simple reaction time, Folstein's Mini Mental State Examination and the Beck Depression Inventory, should be used on daily basis in hemodialysis patients.