Faculty Collaboration Database

Intradialytic Cerebral Hypoperfusion as Mechanism for Cognitive Impairment in Patients on Hemodialysis. J Am Soc Nephrol 2019 Nov;30(11):2052-2058

Date

09/13/2019

Pubmed ID

31511363

Pubmed Central ID

PMC6830804

DOI

10.1681/ASN.2019050461

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85074377816 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   40 Citations

Abstract

The high frequency of cognitive impairment in individuals on hemodialysis is well characterized. In-center hemodialysis patients are disproportionately affected by cognitive impairment compared with other dialysis populations, identifying hemodialysis itself as a possible factor. The pathophysiology of cognitive impairment has multiple components, but vascular-mediated cerebral injury appears to contribute based on studies demonstrating increased cerebral ischemic lesions and atrophy in brain imaging of patients on hemodialysis. Patients on hemodialysis may be at increased risk for cerebral ischemic injury disease due to vasculopathy associated with ESKD and from their comorbid diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes. This review focuses on the intradialytic cerebral hypoperfusion that can occur during routine hemodialysis due to the circulatory stress of hemodialysis. This includes a review of current methods used to monitor intradialytic cerebral perfusion and the structural and functional cognitive outcomes that have been associated with changes in intradialytic cerebral perfusion. Monitoring of intradialytic cerebral perfusion may become clinically relevant as nephrologists try to avoid the cognitive complications seen with hemodialysis. Identifying the appropriate methods to assess risk for cerebral ischemic injury and the relationship of intradialytic cerebral hypoperfusion to cognitive outcomes will help inform the decision to use intradialytic cerebral perfusion monitoring in the clinical setting as part of a strategy to prevent cognitive decline.

Author List

Wolfgram DF

Author

Dawn Felicity Wolfgram MD Associate Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Brain Ischemia
Cerebrovascular Circulation
Cognitive Dysfunction
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Oxygen
Perfusion
Renal Dialysis
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial