Neurocognitive functions in patients with hepatitis C infection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: With improving treatment options, more attention is being paid to the neurocognitive symptoms related to hepatitis C infection (HCI). While HCI-related neurocognitive impairments are frequently subclinical, they can influence patients' quality of life and fitness to work. Objective - The aim of this study was to assess HCI patients' neurocognitive functions and explore the correlations between disease variables and neurocognitive symptoms. METHODS: The study was conducted between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015. All patients with HCI were included in the study who were registered at the Hepatology Outpatient Clinic of Szent István and Szent László Hospitals, met inclusion criteria and volunteered to participate. Patients' sociodemographic data and medical history were recorded in a questionnaire designed for the study. The 21-item Beck Depression Inventory was used to detect depressive symptoms. Six computerized tests were used to evaluate patients' neuropsychological functions. RESULTS: Sixty patients participated in the study. In comparison with general population standards, patients demonstrated poorer performance in several neurocognitive tests. Neuropsychological performance was correlated with age, sex, length of time since HCI diagnosis, Fibroscan score and the number of previous antiviral treatments. CONCLUSION: The study's main finding is that compared to general population standards, patients with hepatitis C virus-related disease exhibit impaired neuropsychological functioning in visuomotor and visuospatial functions, working memory, executive functions, and reaction time. Executive functions and reaction time were the most sensitive indicators for the length and severity of the disease. Deterioration in these functions has a major negative effect on work performance particularly in certain occupations.

Effect of hepatitis C infection on the quality of life.

PURPOSE: To assess the quality of life (QoL) of patients with hepatitis C infection (HCI) and its correlations with demographic and clinical variables. DESIGN AND METHODS: QoL and depressive symptoms were evaluated with the validated rating instruments of the 36-item short form (SF-36) generic health survey and the second version of the self-rated Beck depression inventory (BDI-II) in a cross-sectional design and correlated with basic demographic and clinical variables, including the Fibroscan score, which indicates the severity of liver impairment. FINDINGS: A cohort of 60 HCI patients who participated in the study scored lower than the general population on all domains of the SF-36. In the multivariate correlation analysis, only the physical functioning domain of the SF-36 showed a significant correlation with age, gender, and BD-II and Fibroscan scores. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: QoL is lower for patients who are older, female, and have depressive symptoms. Progression of hepatic cirrhosis is associated with lower QoL in the physical domain.