TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurocognitive Difficulties Among Youth with POTS within an Intensive Pain Rehabilitation Program
AU - Tsai Owens, Michele
AU - Harbeck-Weber, Cynthia
AU - Kirsch, Alexandra
AU - Sim, Leslie
AU - Zaccariello, Michael
AU - Homan, Kendra
AU - Fischer, Philip
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2019.
PY - 2019/6/1
Y1 - 2019/6/1
N2 - Objective Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) commonly report cognitive difficulties, though there is limited information regarding the objective measurement of neurocognitive deficits in this population. This study described the rates of subjectively experienced and objectively measured neurocognitive difficulties and explored effects of medications on neurocognitive functioning among AYAs with POTS admitted to an intensive outpatient pain rehabilitation program. Methods Participants in a pain rehabilitation program diagnosed with POTS (N=96; ages 12-22) were included in the study. Medical characteristics, reported cognitive complaints, and neurocognitive assessment results were collected through retrospective medical record review. We calculated descriptive statistics and Pearson's v2 or Fisher's exact tests, where appropriate. Results While 96% of this sample reported subjective cognitive complaints, as a group, they performed in the Average range on standardized measures of intellectual functioning, attention, and memory. The majority did not demonstrate any normative (73%) or relative (54%) weaknesses in attention or memory. Those prescribed an antiepileptic (n=19) were less likely to have visual-spatial memory weaknesses but more likely to have attention weaknesses. Conclusions Despite a high frequency of reported cognitive difficulties, most AYAs with POTS did not demonstrate neurocognitive impairment on standardized, one-on-one assessment. Suggestions for further study of biopsychosocial contributors to neurocognitive difficulties and for clinical use of neurocognitive assessments in this population were provided.
AB - Objective Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) commonly report cognitive difficulties, though there is limited information regarding the objective measurement of neurocognitive deficits in this population. This study described the rates of subjectively experienced and objectively measured neurocognitive difficulties and explored effects of medications on neurocognitive functioning among AYAs with POTS admitted to an intensive outpatient pain rehabilitation program. Methods Participants in a pain rehabilitation program diagnosed with POTS (N=96; ages 12-22) were included in the study. Medical characteristics, reported cognitive complaints, and neurocognitive assessment results were collected through retrospective medical record review. We calculated descriptive statistics and Pearson's v2 or Fisher's exact tests, where appropriate. Results While 96% of this sample reported subjective cognitive complaints, as a group, they performed in the Average range on standardized measures of intellectual functioning, attention, and memory. The majority did not demonstrate any normative (73%) or relative (54%) weaknesses in attention or memory. Those prescribed an antiepileptic (n=19) were less likely to have visual-spatial memory weaknesses but more likely to have attention weaknesses. Conclusions Despite a high frequency of reported cognitive difficulties, most AYAs with POTS did not demonstrate neurocognitive impairment on standardized, one-on-one assessment. Suggestions for further study of biopsychosocial contributors to neurocognitive difficulties and for clinical use of neurocognitive assessments in this population were provided.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Brain fog
KW - Neurocognitive weaknesses
KW - Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
KW - Young adults
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U2 - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsy106
DO - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsy106
M3 - Article
C2 - 30649432
AN - SCOPUS:85066061537
SN - 0146-8693
VL - 44
SP - 567
EP - 575
JO - Journal of pediatric psychology
JF - Journal of pediatric psychology
IS - 5
M1 - 106
ER -