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Saponaro F, Alfi G, Cetani F, Matrone A, Mazoni L, Apicella M, Pardi E, Borsari S, Laurino M, Lai E, Gemignani A, Marcocci C. Serum calcium levels are associated with cognitive function in hypoparathyroidism: a neuropsychological and biochemical study in an Italian cohort of patients with chronic post-surgical hypoparathyroidism. J Endocrinol Invest 2022; 45:1909-1918. [PMID: 35751804 PMCID: PMC9463210 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-022-01822-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT) is a rare endocrine disease and conventional therapy is based on calcium and vitamin D analogues. Conventional therapy does not restore calcium homeostasis and patients complain with neuropsychological symptoms, which have been evaluated with nonspecific self-administered questionnaires. This study aims to evaluate cognitive functions of patients with chronic post-surgical (PS)-HypoPT compared to a control population, using a standardized neuropsychological approach and evaluating the relationship with serum calcium (Alb-Ca). METHODS Observational, monocentric study on 33 patients with PS-HypoPT and 24 controls, in whom biochemical testing and a standardized neuropsychological assessment by a trained psychologist were performed. RESULTS In patients with PS-HypoPT, low Alb-Ca correlated with a worse performance on semantic memory abilities and executive function, as suggested by a significant inverse correlation between Alb-Ca and Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) scores (r = - 0.423; p = 0.014) and by a positive correlation with Semantic Fluency Test scores (SF)(r = 0.510; p = 0.002). PS-HypoPT patients with Alb-Ca ≤ 8.9 mg/dl had a significantly lower test performance compared with PS-HypoPT patients with Alb-Ca > 8.9 mg/dl, both at the TMT-A test (mean score: 34.53-18.55; p < 0.0001) and at SF test (mean score: 41.94-48.68; p = 0.01) and also a significantly lower test performance compared with control patients' group at TMT-A (mean score: 34.53-25.5; p = 0.0057). CONCLUSIONS Patients with chronic PS-HypoPT in conventional therapy do not show a severe cognitive impairment; however, cognitive functions namely visuo-spatial attention, executive function and semantic memory appear to be modulated by Alb-Ca and impaired by its low levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Saponaro
- Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - G Alfi
- Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Cetani
- University Hospital of Pisa, Endocrine Unit 2, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Matrone
- University Hospital of Pisa, Endocrine Unit 2, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Mazoni
- University Hospital of Pisa, Endocrine Unit 2, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Apicella
- University Hospital of Pisa, Endocrine Unit 2, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Pardi
- University Hospital of Pisa, Endocrine Unit 2, Pisa, Italy
| | - S Borsari
- University Hospital of Pisa, Endocrine Unit 2, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Laurino
- Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Lai
- Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Marcocci
- University Hospital of Pisa, Endocrine Unit 2, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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