Cognitive impairment in CKD patients: a guidance document by the CONNECT network
Davide Bolignano, Mariadelina Simeoni, Gaye Hafez, Marion Pépin, Antonio Gallo, Manuela Altieri, Sophie Liabeuf, Konstantinos Giannakou, Ananya De, Giovambattista Capasso, CONNECT Action (Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology European Cooperative Target) collaborators, Giovambattista Capasso, Alexandre Andrade, Mustafa Arici, Maie Bachmann, Matthew A. Bailey, Michelangela Barbieri, Mickaël Bobot, Annette Bruchfeld, Inga Arune-Bumblyte, Daiva Rastenytė, Antonello Calcutta, Giovanna Capolongo, Sol Carriazo, Michele Ceccarelli, Adrian Covic, Ananya De, Pilar Delgado, Nicole Endlich, Matthias Endres, Fabrizio Esposito, Michele Farisco, Quentin Faucher, Ana Carina Ferreira, Andreja Figurek, Denis Fouque, Casper Franssen, Ivo Fridolin, Sebastian Frische, Liliana Gârneaţă, Loreto Gesualdo, Konstantinos Giannakou, Olivier Godefroy, Aleksandra Golenia, Dimitrios Goumenos, Eugenio Gutiérrez Jiménez, Gaye Hafez, Ewout J. Hoorn, Pedro Henrique Imenez Silva, Raafiah Izhar, Dearbhla Kelly, Shelli R. Kesler, Aleksandra Klimkowicz‐Mrowiec, Samuel Knauß, Justina Kurganaite, Hélène Levassort, Sophie Liabeuf, Jolanta Małyszko, Laila-Yasmin Mani, Gianvito Martino, Ziad A. Massy, Christopher Mayer, Armida Mucci, Alma Mutevelić-Turković, Rikke Nielsen, Dorothea Nitsch, Alberto Ortíz, Vasileios Panagiotopoulos, Despoina Karasavvidou, Giuseppe Paolisso, Bojana Pejušković, Marion Pépin, Alessandra Perna, Andrea Perrottelli, Vesna Pešić, Pasquale Pezzella, Merita Rroji, Ivan Rychlík, Giorgos K. Sakkas, Mariadelina Simeoni, María José Soler Romeo, Goce Spasovski, Ana Starčević, Gioacchino Tedeschi, Francesco Trevisani, Robert J. Unwin, Evgueniy Vazelov, Carsten A. Wagner, Franca Wagner, Christoph Wanner, Andrzej Więcek, Hong Xu, Miriam Zacchia, Lefteris Zacharia, Irene Zecchino, Carmine Zoccali, Francesco Mattace‐Raso, Karlhans Endlich, Norberto Perico, Giuseppe Remuzzi
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a prevalent and debilitating complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This position paper, developed by the Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology: European Cooperative Target network, provides guidance on the epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis and clinical management of CKD-related cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is significantly more common in CKD patients compared with the general population, particularly those undergoing haemodialysis. The development of cognitive impairment is influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including uraemic neurotoxins, electrolytes and acid-base disorders, anaemia, vascular damage, metabolic disturbances and comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension. Effective screening and diagnostic strategies are essential for early identification of cognitive impairment utilizing cognitive assessment tools, neuroimaging and circulating biomarkers. The impact of various drug classes, including antiplatelet therapy, oral anticoagulants, lipid-lowering treatments and antihypertensive drugs, on cognitive function is evaluated. Management strategies encompass pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, with recommendations for optimizing cognitive function while managing CKD-related complications. This guidance highlights the importance of addressing cognitive impairment in CKD patients through early detection, careful medication management and tailored therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.