DUARTE, ANA; GOMEZ, LUZ; AGUIRRE, DANIEL    PINEDA, DAVID. CARACTERIZACIÓN NEUROPSICOLÓGICA DE LOS PACIENTES ADULTOS EN DIÁLISIS DE UNA INSTITUCIÓN ESPECIALIZADADE MEDELLÍN - COLOMBIA. []. , 5, 3, pp.627-646. ISSN 1657-9267.

Introduction: Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) have cognitive impairments and intellectual deficiencies compared with normal people. Objective: To analyze the neuropsychological characteristics in adult patients (18 to 65 years old), belonging to a dialysis program in the Instituto del Riñón [Kidney Institute] of Medellín-Colombia. Subjects and Methods: A non-randomized sample of 59 patients, aged between 23 to 64 years old, a neuropsychological tests battery was applied to patients, which assessed attention, memory, language, visual abilities, motor skills, executive function and intellectual level. Comparisons with means from general population were done, and analysis comparing gender, age, school grades, socio economic stratum, and some clinical characteristics (type of dialysis, time from the starting dialysis, number of hospitalizations, Kt/v level, hematocrit, depression, and number of hospitalizations). Results: Patients had significant low performance in almost all neuropsychological functions, compared with general population. Comparisons between age, education and socioeconomic strata groups showed differences on executive function, visual-motor, visual perception, attention, and intelligence tasks. None difference was found between the clinical groups. Conclusions: Patients with CRF had disseminated cognitive impairment compared to general population.

: Chronic renal failure; CRF; Dialysis; Attention; Memory; Language; Visual abilities; Motor skills; Executive function, Colombia.

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