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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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Measurement of Tissue Oxygenation Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
Published on: October 2, 2020
Structural brain changes, cerebral oxygenation, and cognitive function in hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional
Martin Michna1,2, Romana Burgetova1, Karin Kremenova1
1Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czechia.
Frontiers in Medicine
|July 25, 2026
Summary
End-stage kidney disease patients on hemodialysis exhibit cognitive decline, reduced brain oxygenation, and structural brain changes. However, frontal cerebral hypoxia did not correlate with cognitive impairment or brain alterations in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is frequently associated with cognitive impairment.
- Patients with ESKD often display brain structural abnormalities and reduced regional cerebral oxygenation (rSO2).
- The interplay between cognitive function, brain structure, and oxygenation in ESKD patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cognitive function, brain structure, and cerebral oxygenation between hemodialysis (HD) patients and healthy controls.
- To examine the relationship between cerebral oxygenation, cognitive performance, and brain morphometric parameters in HD patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 44 HD patients (mean age 72.5 years) and 24 healthy controls.
- Cognitive function assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
- Frontal lobe oxygenation measured via INVOS 5100C Oximetry; brain morphology evaluated using 1.5T MRI and MorphoBox software.
Main Results:
- HD patients demonstrated significantly lower rSO2, poorer MoCA scores, and notable brain structural changes (reduced white/grey matter, white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, lacunar infarcts) compared to controls.
- A positive correlation between MoCA and rSO2 was observed in controls, but not in HD patients.
- In HD patients, MoCA scores showed significant correlations with specific brain structural parameters.
Conclusions:
- Hemodialysis patients exhibit cognitive deficits, diminished cerebral oxygenation, and significant brain structural alterations.
- Despite these findings, regional frontal cerebral hypoxia was not directly associated with cognitive decline or brain structural changes in the studied HD patient cohort.
