Memory and perceptuo-motor performance in Nigerians with chronic renal impairment.
BACKGROUND
With the increasing prevalence of chronic renal failure among the indigenous African population, coupled with the emphasis on improvement in the quality of life, there is a need for reports on the cognitive functioning and the effect of the disease on the cognitive performance of affected individuals.


METHODS
Sixty consecutive non-dialyzed Nigerian patients with clinical and biochemical evidence of chronic renal failure and sixty healthy age-, sex- and education level-matched controls (volunteers) were studied using an automated neuro-psychological test battery (FePsy) to assess their memory and perceptuo-motor skills.


RESULTS
The chronic renal failure patients performed worse in both verbal and visual memory than controls (p<0.0001). The patients compared favorably with the controls on concentration ability (p>0.05), but their perceptuo-motor speed was retarded (p<0.001). The levels of creatinine (p<0.01) and urea (p<0.01) and the presence of hypertension (p<0.05), asterixis (p<0.05), exertional dyspnea (p<0.05), and vomiting (p<0.05) affected their memory performance, with creatinine level being the most potent variable (p=0.0015).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study confirm the presence of cognitive impairments in Nigerians with chronic renal impairment and buttress the importance of its aggressive and prompt management.
Ogunrin
A Olubunmi
AO
Department of Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. bfunmi@uniben.edu
Unuigbe
Evelyn I
EI
Azubuike
Chuks
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011597:Psychomotor Performance