Title:Cognitive Functions Assessment in Psoriasis Patients: A Crosssectional Study in University Hospital
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Author(s): Ola Osama Khalaf*Marwa S. El-Mesidy
Affiliation:
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Keywords:
Psoriasis, skin diseases, cognitive dysfunction, cognition, mental status, dementiatests, attention.
Abstract:
Background: Psoriasis is not merely an inflammatory skin disease but is commonly
associated with systemic inflammation causing medical and psychiatric comorbidities.
Objectives: To investigate several cognitive domains and detect Mild Cognitive Impairment
(MCI) in psoriasis patients.
Methods: 100 psoriasis patients, age 80 and sex-matched controls were recruited, dermatological
and psychiatric assessments were done, psoriasis severity was assessed using the Psoriasis
Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic (MoCA-B) was
used to assess the different cognitive domains and to screen for any possible MCI.
Results: Cognitive functions were significantly worse in patients than in the healthy controls for
the total score of MOCA-B (p <0.001), abstraction (p <0.001), delayed recall (p <0.001), visuospatial
abilities (p= 0.013), naming (p=0.029) and attention (p <0.001). MCI was detected by the
Arabic version of MoCA-B with a cut-off score of 21/22, and it was more in the psoriasis group
(16 %) than in the controls (4%). No correlations were observed between disease characteristics
(Psoriasis duration in months, PASI, BSA%,) and the MoCA scores in psoriasis patients.
Conclusion: Psoriasis patients showed worse cognitive impairment when compared to the controls
regardless of the psoriasis severity. Thus, the routine clinical examination of psoriasis
patients should include the administration of a brief cognitive screening tool to reach the best
management.
