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Memory functions in prednisone‐treated kidney transplant patients
Author(s) -
Bermond Bob,
Surachno Sugianto,
Lok Anja,
Ten Berge Ineke JM,
Plasmans Barbara,
Kox Cornelis,
Schuller Esther,
Schellekens Peter TA,
Hamel Ronald
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2005.00376.x
Subject(s) - medicine , prednisone , declarative memory , kidney transplant , renal transplant , hippocampus , kidney transplantation , transplantation , cognition , psychiatry
The literature indicates that high daily doses of gluco‐corticosteroids have a degenerating effect upon the hippocampus and thus result in reduced declarative memory capacities. In order to prevent rejection, renal transplant recipients are treated with moderate daily doses of gluco‐corticosteroids and, if necessary, with high pulse‐doses during a few days. The question, therefore, arises as to whether or not such standard treatments result in memory impairments. For this reason, declarative memory capacities were measured, by means of a Dutch version of Rey's 15 Words Test, in a group of 52 renal transplant recipients. Results clearly indicated severe reductions in declarative memory capacities in these patients.