Solomon E, Brănișteanu D, Dumbravă A, Solomon RG, Kiss L, Glod M, Preda C. Executive functioning and quality of life in acromegaly.
Psychol Res Behav Manag 2019;
12:39-44. [PMID:
30655710 PMCID:
PMC6322494 DOI:
10.2147/prbm.s183950]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction
Active acromegaly is a rare chronic endocrine disorder caused by excessive growth hormone (GH). Clinical studies suggest that cognitive performance is impaired in acromegaly – particularly executive function as well as short- and long-term memory. This study compared the quality of life (QoL) and executive functioning in acromegaly patients vs healthy controls.
Materials and methods
This was an observational case–control study on 38 subjects divided into 19 acromegaly patients and 19 matched controls. The groups were evaluated for QoL, attention, and executive function. All subjects completed Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL), Trail Making Test (parts A and B), Stroop, and phonemic fluency tests.
Results
Acromegaly patients had an AcroQoL global score that was significantly lower than controls. There were significant differences between the acromegaly group and the control group in terms of the physical effects (P=0.001) and appearance (P<0.001) but not for personal relationships (P=0.421). Acromegaly patients performed worse in the trail making test part B. They provided significantly fewer words than healthy subjects in phonemic fluency testing. Although patients performed generally worse than controls, no significant differences were noted in the trail making test part A, Stroop test, and the constrained phonemic fluency.
Conclusion
Acromegaly patients display worse executive functioning than healthy controls and have a decreased QoL.
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