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The cognitive effects of hepatitis C in the presence and absence of a history of substance use disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2009

MARILYN HUCKANS ,
ADRIANA SEELYE ,
TIFFANY PARCEL ,
LISA MULL ,
JONATHAN WOODHOUSE ,
DANELL BJORNSON ,
BRET E. FULLER ,
JENNIFER M. LOFTIS ,
BENJAMIN J. MORASCO  and
ANNA W. SASAKI
...Show all authors
MARILYN HUCKANS*
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Behavioral Health & Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
ADRIANA SEELYE
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Psychology, Pacific University, Portland, Oregon
TIFFANY PARCEL
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Psychology, Pacific University, Portland, Oregon
LISA MULL
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Psychology, Pacific University, Portland, Oregon
JONATHAN WOODHOUSE
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Psychology, George Fox University, Portland, Oregon
DANELL BJORNSON
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon School of Nursing, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
BRET E. FULLER
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Behavioral Health & Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
JENNIFER M. LOFTIS
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Behavioral Health & Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon The JENS Lab, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
BENJAMIN J. MORASCO
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Behavioral Health & Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
ANNA W. SASAKI
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
DANIEL STORZBACH
Affiliation:
Behavioral Health & Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
PETER HAUSER
Affiliation:
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Behavioral Health & Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon The JENS Lab, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon Department of Behavioral Neurosciences, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Marilyn Huckans, Portland VA Medical Center (P3MHDC), 3710 SW US Veteran’s Hospital Road, Portland, OR 97239. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine whether infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with cognitive impairment beyond the effects of prevalent comorbidities and a history of substance use disorder (SUD). Adult veterans were recruited from the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center into three groups: (1) HCV+/SUD+ (n = 39), (2) HCV+/SUD− (n = 24), and (3) HCV−/SUD− (n = 56). SUD+ participants were in remission for ≥90 days, while SUD− participants had no history of SUD. Groups did not significantly differ in terms of rates of psychiatric or medical comorbidities. Procedures included clinical interviews, medical record reviews, and neuropsychological testing. Significant group differences were found in the domains of Verbal Memory, Auditory Attention, Speeded Visual Information Processing, and Reasoning/Mental Flexibility (p ≤ .05). Post hoc comparisons indicated that HCV+/SUD− patients performed significantly worse than HCV−/SUD− controls on tests measuring verbal learning, auditory attention, and reasoning/mental flexibility, but only HCV+/SUD+ patients did worse than HCV−/SUD− controls on tests of speeded visual information processing. Results indicate that chronic HCV is associated with cognitive impairment in the absence of a history of SUD. The most robust deficits appear to be in verbal learning and reasoning/mental flexibility. (JINS, 2009, 15, 69–82.)

Keywords

NeuropsychologyDeliriumDementiaAmnesticCognitive disordersInfectious hepatitis virusSubstance-related disordersDepressionPain
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 69 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © INS 2009

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