Pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin therapy may induce working memory disturbances in chronic hepatitis C patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to determine the effect of 12-week pegylated IFNalpha plus ribavirin (peg-IFNalpha/RBV) treatment on cognitive performance in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.


METHODS
Forty-seven CHC patients were consecutively enrolled and divided into two groups: active treatment and control (26 and 21 participants, respectively). Treatment-group patients received peg-IFNalpha/RBV treatment for 48 weeks in standard doses. Control-group patients did not receive the above treatment. Both groups underwent neuropsychological examination at the beginning and after 12 weeks of treatment or observation. Neuropsychological evaluation consisted of Stroop Color-Word Test and Trail Making Test.


RESULTS
Cognitive performance decreased significantly in the treatment group after 12 weeks of combination therapy, which was not seen in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that peg-IFNalpha/RBV therapy of CHC patients is related to cognitive performance decline and is a result of IFNalpha-induced neurotransmission abnormalities in the limbic system, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex.
Pawelczyk
Tomasz
T
Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, 8/10 Czechosłowacka Street, 92-216 Lodz, Poland. tpawelczyk@o2.pl
Pawelczyk
Agnieszka
A
Strzelecki
Dominik
D
Rabe-Jablonska
Jolanta
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000187:drug effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a