Aspectos neuropsicológicos e clínicos de indivíduos com Hepatite viral C crônica no tratamento com antivirais de ação direta

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate and discuss the neuropsychological characteristics of individuals with chronic viral hepatitis C, considering cognitive functioning per se and during treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). This manuscript presents two articles, the first being a systematic literature review, which describe the main neuropsychological outcomes of individuals treated with DAAs, based on articles published in journals indexed in the main databases, according to the adopted inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results indicate methodological heterogeneity regarding the neuropsychological tests used, cognitive domains evaluated and sample characteristics. Most studies indicate cognitive improvement after treatment with DAAs. In general, HCV mono- and co-infected individuals improved processing speed, verbal fluency, and verbal/visual episodic memory. The second article presents comparative results of patients who were evaluated before and after treatment with DAAs for neuropsychological functions, quality of life and depressed mood. The results indicate improvement in visual attention scores, based on reaction time and quality of life measures. Regarding mood, although the patients did not show changes at baseline, there was an improvement in the total score. Patients with HCV have a diverse neuropsychological profile and chronic infection can cause cognitive impairment, even in asymptomatic individuals. It is necessary to investigate in depth the cognitive mechanisms associated with the infection and the new treatment with DAAs, to understand the extent of the damage and provide more specific and clear interventions in the course of the disease.