Decision-making Impairments in Primary Angle-closure Glaucoma Patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) is a common eye disease and a common cause of blindness. Inappropriate medical decisions severely affect the prognosis. This study investigated decision-making under risk in PACG patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty patients with first acute attack of PACG before surgery and thirty healthy controls were included in the study. Decision-making under risk was evaluated with the game of dice task (GDT). The results of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and GDT between PACG patients and healthy controls were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Risky decisions in PACG patients were more than those in healthy controls as measured by mean score of GDT (12.47 ± 5.72 vs. 4.33 ± 3.30, P< 0.001). Higher neuroticism score in EPQ was found in PACG patients compared to healthy controls (14.97 ± 3.93 vs. 9.90 ± 4.49, P< 0.001). Neuroticism scores in EPQ were associated with decision-making performance (r = 0.417, P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Neuroticism positively correlated with risky decisions. Decision-making might be influenced by neuroticism. Future studies will show whether therapy compliance will be improved by emotional management and psychological intervention in PACG patients.</p>