Objectively measured cognitive dysfunction in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism improves after...

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Neurosurgery
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with reduced quality of life, often measured by patient-reported outcomes.
• Objective data demonstrating cognitive dysfunction in PHPT patients is limited.
• This study investigates the impact of parathyroidectomy on objectively measured cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess whether parathyroidectomy leads to quantifiable cognitive improvement in patients with PHPT.
• To evaluate the association between parathyroidectomy and neurocognitive changes using objective measures.
• To identify specific cognitive domains affected by PHPT and improved by surgery.

Main Methods:

• 59 consecutive PHPT patients undergoing parathyroidectomy were assessed.
• BrainCheck, a validated neurocognitive tool, was used for pre- and postoperative assessments.
• Statistical analysis, including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, evaluated cognitive changes.

Main Results:

• 44.1% of patients exhibited preoperative neurocognitive dysfunction, decreasing to 22% postoperatively.
• A significant overall improvement in cognitive scores was observed after parathyroidectomy (P = .004).
• Improvements in executive function were significantly associated with parathyroidectomy (P < .01).

Conclusions:

• PHPT is associated with objectively measurable cognitive changes.
• Parathyroidectomy can reverse these cognitive deficits, with improvements noted as early as 2 weeks post-surgery.
• Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to confirm these findings.