A Systematic Review on Interferon Alpha-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Hepatitis C Patients

Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is an important treatment modality for the hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, treatment with IFN-α is often associated with cognitive difficulties in HCV patients. Thus, this systematic review was performed to assess the effects of IFN-α on cognitive functioning in patients suffering from HCV.

Relevant literature was identified by performing a comprehensive literature search in major databases including PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane Central using a combination of suitable keywords. We retrieved studies that were published from the start of each database until August 2021.

Out of 210 articles, 73 studies were selected after removing the duplicates. In the first pass, 60 articles were excluded. Out of 13 full-text articles, only 5 articles qualified for qualitative analyses in the second pass. We observed conflicting results concerned with the use of IFN-α and the risk of neurocognitive impairment in HCV patients.

In conclusion, we have observed conflicting results regarding the impact of INF-α treatment on the cognitive functioning of patients suffering from HCV. Thus, there is an urgent need for an extensive study to evaluate the exact association between INF-αtherapy and cognitive functioning in HCV patients.