| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Published Abstract | | Title: Hepatitis C (HCV) Impacts Neurocognitive Dispersion: Greater Within-Person Variability Across Cognitive Domains among HCV-Seropositive Individuals. | | Authors: Morgan E, Woods S, Rooney A, Perry W, Grant I, Letendre S, and the HNRP Group | | Year: 2011 | | Publication: Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology | | Volume: 26 Issue: 6 Pages: 491 | | Abstract:Objective: Approximately one-third of patients with hepatitis C infection (HCV) evidence cognitive impairment consistent with frontal–subcortical systems dysfunction, including cognitive dyscontrol, inattention, and psychomotor slowing. As such, the present study hypothesized that HCV status would significantly impact neurocognitive dispersion, or within-person variability in cognitive performance across domains, because increased dispersion is purportedly a function of deficient cognitive control via fronto–striato–thalamo–cortical circuit dysfunction. Method: The study sample included 37 individuals with HCV infection (HCV+) and 45 uninfected comparison participants (HCV-). The groups were comparable with regard to
demographic factors, and no participants had current psychiatric diagnoses. The dispersion variable represented an intraindividual
standard deviation (ISD) calculated across 13 summary measures of standard neuropsychological tests (i.e., demographically adjusted T-scores). Results: HCV status significantly predicted dispersion (p = 0.002), even when history of
alcohol dependence, current psychiatric distress, and mean level of performance were included in the regression model.
Planned follow-up comparisons revealed that results were demonstrated in the expected direction (i.e., higher dispersion in
the HCV+ group relative to HCV- ; Cohen’s d = 0.64) and were not better explained by fatigue or a history of other substance dependence. Within the HCV+ group, dispersion was not significantly associated with standard laboratory values of
liver functioning (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Consistent with the demonstrated frontal–subcortical pattern of cognitive deficits in HCV infection, increased neurocognitive dispersion among HCV+ individuals is suggestive of the vulnerability of this
population to cognitive dyscontrol expressed as poor regulation of performance across tasks that may manifest as functional difficulties in daily life, thereby indicating the potential clinical utility of this measure. |
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