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Background: Though much research has been done on the cognitive profiles of children, the abilities of patients with SBM as they age into adulthood are not well understood.
Objective: Determine if adults with SBM have impairments in overall cognition, attention, executive function, and memory compared to typically developing adults or a standardize...
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Introduction
Previous studies have shown that musical instrument training programs of 16 or more weeks improve verbal memory (Logical Memory Test delayed recall), processing speed (Digit Symbol Coding Test), and executive function (Trail Making Test Part B) of musically untrained healthy older adults. However, it is unclear whether shorter-period i...
Depression and cognition are associated, but the role of depressive symptoms in lifestyle interventions to prevent dementia needs further study. We investigated the intervention effect on depressive symptoms and their associations with cognition in the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER; NCT0...
Citations
... Cognitive testing across several studies has documented impaired memory and attention. [28] While one would hypothesize that the presence of an intraventricular shunt, or multiple shunt revisions would be a risk factor for cognitive impairment, the evidence on this topic in a recent systematic review was inconsistent. [28] In summary, commonly studied populations with NLUTD have baseline risks for cognitive impairment. ...
... [28] While one would hypothesize that the presence of an intraventricular shunt, or multiple shunt revisions would be a risk factor for cognitive impairment, the evidence on this topic in a recent systematic review was inconsistent. [28] In summary, commonly studied populations with NLUTD have baseline risks for cognitive impairment. Intuitively, this would make minimizing the risk of medication-related cognitive side effects an important priority. ...
This narrative review discusses the relationship between anticholinergic medications and cognitive change specifically in patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD). NLUTD is prevalent in various conditions, including spinal cord injury (SCI), spina bifida (SB), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, stroke, and dementia and often requires anticholinergic overactive bladder (OAB) medications. In the general population, and among those with OAB, several studies have found a significant association between this class of medications and cognitive side effects, mostly when used for > 90 days. These cognitive side effects may be particularly relevant to people with NLUTD due to their higher baseline risk of cognitive impairment. Two studies (one in people with SCI and another in MS) found evidence of cognitive impairment with the use of OAB anticholinergics (specifically oxybutynin and tolterodine). People with dementia commonly use OAB anticholinergics, and there is evidence that oxybutynin and tolterodine may impair cognition in this population. Two recent studies in children with SB studied 12 months of solifenacin and 6 months of fesoterodine/oxybutynin and found there was no significant change in neuropsychological testing. Clinical studies in people with Parkinson’s disease and prior stroke have not shown that trospium, darifenacin, or fesoterodine have a significant impact on cognitive measures. In summary, oxybutynin and tolterodine may pose a higher risk of cognitive impairment than newer OAB anticholinergics in people with NLUTD; there is no evidence that children with SB experience cognitive impairment with OAB anticholinergics. Further study is necessary to confirm cognitive safety, particularly as the NLUTD population may have a high exposure to OAB anticholinergics. Advocating for potentially safer OAB medications is necessary if there is concern about cognitive risks.
... The conceptualization of a typical cognitive profile is however mainly based on studies of children, adolescents and young adults. For example, a recently published systematic review by Sachdeva et al. [13], reported deficits in working memory, attention and prospective memory, but none of the 24 studies in the review included samples with a median age above 35 years. ...
... Nearly all studies on cognitive functioning in adults with SBM include participants with additional brain abnormalities [13]. While the majority of persons with SBM born after the 1960's exhibit brain abnormalities such as hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation type II, and corpus callosum dysgenesis, a larger proportion of those who were born prior to the introduction of valved shunt treatment and survived into late adulthood, do not have these complications. ...
Purpose
To investigate cognitive functioning and emotional distress in adults aged 55 to 68 years old with spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM), both with and without hydrocephalus. A secondary aim was to explore the associations between psychosocial factors in relation to emotional distress.
Materials and methods
Cross-sectional study of eleven females and eight males with SBM, five with and twelve without hydrocephalus. Cognitive functioning was investigated with neuropsychological tests and self-report measures. Furthermore, participants completed questionnaires regarding resilience, access to social support, coping, and emotional distress. Descriptive statistics were applied, and Spearman Rho correlation coefficients were used to explore the relationships between psychosocial factors and emotional distress.
Results
Eleven exhibited normal cognitive functioning. An observed difference was seen between participants with and without hydrocephalus, where six and five persons reported clinical levels of depression and anxiety, respectively. Positive perceptions of self and future were associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Conclusion
This study adds important information about cognitive functioning and emotional distress in an understudied population. The results indicated normal cognitive functioning in adults aged 55 to 68 years with SBM without hydrocephalus. Prevalence of emotional distress was comparable with previous studies of younger adults with SBM. There is a need for longitudinal studies investigating cognition and psychological health to fully capture important aspects of the life course of SBM with and without hydrocephalus.
