Assessment of memory in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
2011
Background/Aim. The diagnosis of emotional and cognitive dysfunction in
patients with rheumatoid arthritis is often not noticed, regardless of their
importance and frequency. The aim of this research was to assess memory
function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with respect to its emotional
manifestation, pain intensity, the duration and degree of disease activity,
and functional and anatomical stages of the disease. Methods. The study
involved 60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 30 healthy subjects of
both sexes, aged up to 55, who were examined and tested in the Special
Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Novi Sad. Depression was diagnosed by
using the Beck’s scale for depression (Beck Depression Inventory - BDI),
anxiety by using the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory - State and Traite;
we evaluated the cognitive status (by the Wechsler scale-based memory -
WBsp), the functional status (Health Assesment Questionnaire, HAQ) and
disease activity by analyzing the index of disease activity (DAS 28).
Results. Depressive symptoms were registered in 38 (63.33%) patients, and
anxiety symptoms in 22 (36.67%) patients. The average values of the memory
coefficient were significantly lower in the group of patients with rheumatoid
arthritis compared with the control group. Conclusion. High frequency of
emotional dysfunction and damaged memory abilities in patients with
rheumatoid arthritis requires in time diagnosis and adequate treatment.
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