title: Mild cognitive impairment in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is frequently associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities and depression that are risk factors for cognitive impairment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate cognitive performance in psoriatic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive performances were assessed by neuropsychological tests in 41 patients with psoriasis and 37 controls. Diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were (1) subjective complaint of a memory deficit, confirmed by a relative or caregiver, (2) pathological performance on neuropsychological tests investigating cognitive domains, (3) normal performance of daily living activities and (4) no dementia. Neuroimaging was studied by high-field magnetic resonance imaging and cortical thickness analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MCI was found in 18 out of 41 (44%) patients with psoriasis compared to 4 out of 37 (11%) controls (p = 0.002). In particular, patients with psoriasis had lower scores in the delayed recall of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (p = 0.04), Backwards Digit Span Test (p = 0.002), Weigl's Sorting Test (p = 0.01) and Trail Making Test B (p = 0.008). In the 7 patients submitted to cortical thickness analysis, a reduction in brain thickness in parahippocampal, superior temporal and frontal gyri of the left hemisphere was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with psoriasis may have a precocious impairment of long-term verbal memory, executive functions and attention.
authors.affiliation: Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gisondi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alessandrini
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Avesani
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zoccatelli
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beltramello
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moretto
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gambina
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Girolomoni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D057567:Memory, Long-Term; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014145:Trail Making Test