Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning
Introduction Patients with remitted Cushing’s Disease (CD) often present persisting impairments in executive and cognitive functioning domains. Little research has been conducted regarding the functional neural correlates of an important executive functioning skill, namely the ability to plan, in t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822016431/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797616276816789504 |
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| author | S. Bauduin F. Van Haalen E. Giltay O. Meijer A. Pereira N. Van Der Wee S. Van Der Werff |
| author_facet | S. Bauduin F. Van Haalen E. Giltay O. Meijer A. Pereira N. Van Der Wee S. Van Der Werff |
| author_sort | S. Bauduin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Patients with remitted Cushing’s Disease (CD) often present persisting impairments in executive and cognitive functioning domains. Little research has been conducted regarding the functional neural correlates of an important executive functioning skill, namely the ability to plan, in these patients.
Objectives
To examine visuospatial planning related brain activity in remitted CD patients and matched controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Methods
fMRI scans were made using a 3-Telsa scanner while remitted CD patients (n=21) and age-, gender-, and education matched healthy controls (HCs; n=21) completed a parametric Tower of London (ToL) task. Psychological and cognitive functioning were assessed using validated questionnaires. Clinical severity was assessed retrospectively using the Cushing’s syndrome Severity Index (CSI).
Results
CD Patients were on average 45.1 (SD=7.1) years old, 81% female, and in remission for mean 10.68 (SD=7.69) years. No differences were found in number of correct trials, response times per ToL trial, or in the region of interest analyses. Exploratory wholebrain analyses found that CD patients showed more activation in several brain regions associated with higher cognitive processes on 2-, 3-, and 5-step trials compared to HCs. Over-recruitment of the right parietal operculum cortex in the patients was significantly negatively associated with the prior active disease state on the CSI (r=-0.519, p=0.02).
Conclusions
The increased brain activation during the ToL in remitted CD patients versus controls signals over-recruitment of certain brain areas involved in higher cognitive processes. CD may thus result in long-lasting, subtle scarring effects during demanding executive functioning tasks, despite remission.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:38:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2aaadd52b350480fa8e4fa004e590196 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:38:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-2aaadd52b350480fa8e4fa004e5901962023-11-17T05:08:56ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S641S64110.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.1643Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioningS. Bauduin0F. Van Haalen1E. Giltay2O. Meijer3A. Pereira4N. Van Der Wee5S. Van Der Werff6Leiden University Medical Center, Psychiatry, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden University Medical Center, Endocrinology, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden University Medical Center, Psychiatry, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden University Medical Center, Endocrinology, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden University Medical Center, Endocrinology, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden University Medical Center, Psychiatry, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden University Medical Center, Psychiatry, Leiden, Netherlands Introduction Patients with remitted Cushing’s Disease (CD) often present persisting impairments in executive and cognitive functioning domains. Little research has been conducted regarding the functional neural correlates of an important executive functioning skill, namely the ability to plan, in these patients. Objectives To examine visuospatial planning related brain activity in remitted CD patients and matched controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods fMRI scans were made using a 3-Telsa scanner while remitted CD patients (n=21) and age-, gender-, and education matched healthy controls (HCs; n=21) completed a parametric Tower of London (ToL) task. Psychological and cognitive functioning were assessed using validated questionnaires. Clinical severity was assessed retrospectively using the Cushing’s syndrome Severity Index (CSI). Results CD Patients were on average 45.1 (SD=7.1) years old, 81% female, and in remission for mean 10.68 (SD=7.69) years. No differences were found in number of correct trials, response times per ToL trial, or in the region of interest analyses. Exploratory wholebrain analyses found that CD patients showed more activation in several brain regions associated with higher cognitive processes on 2-, 3-, and 5-step trials compared to HCs. Over-recruitment of the right parietal operculum cortex in the patients was significantly negatively associated with the prior active disease state on the CSI (r=-0.519, p=0.02). Conclusions The increased brain activation during the ToL in remitted CD patients versus controls signals over-recruitment of certain brain areas involved in higher cognitive processes. CD may thus result in long-lasting, subtle scarring effects during demanding executive functioning tasks, despite remission. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822016431/type/journal_articleCushing’s Diseasecognitive planningexecutive functioning |
| spellingShingle | S. Bauduin F. Van Haalen E. Giltay O. Meijer A. Pereira N. Van Der Wee S. Van Der Werff Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning European Psychiatry Cushing’s Disease cognitive planning executive functioning |
| title | Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning |
| title_full | Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning |
| title_fullStr | Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning |
| title_short | Long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning |
| title_sort | long term effects of cushing s disease on visuospatial planning and executive functioning |
| topic | Cushing’s Disease cognitive planning executive functioning |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822016431/type/journal_article |
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