Cognitive impairment in hemodialysis patients: What can slow this decline?

Publication date: April 2016 Source:Hong Kong Journal of Nephrology, Volume 18 Author(s): Mitesh Patel, Indranil Dasgupta, George Tadros, Jyoti Baharani With over 70% of hemodialysis (HD) patients, aged ≥55 years, having moderate to severe chronic cognitive impairment (CI), in an increasingly aging population, the need to stop this cognitive decline is paramount. CI amongst HD patients raises patient safety concerns, while limiting their ability to understand information such as medical advice and their decision-making ability. Unfortunately, the data available on assessment of cognition in HD patients and interventions utilized remain extremely limited. This paper discusses assessment of cognition, the theories of CI in HD patients, and current literature on cognitive interventions in chronic disease, with many not applicable to the HD population. An encouraging psychological intervention called cognitive stimulation therapy helps improve cognition as well as social skills in CI. This is the first review article discussing the possibility of cognition stimulation during HD which has not been investigated previously. With cognitive stimulation therapy showing improvements in cognition at 6-month follow-up, as well as being recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for use in dementia, we suggest the need to study whether this therapy has any effect on cognition in HD patients both in short term, with respect to daily activities and dec...
Source: Hong Kong Journal of Nephrology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Source Type: research