The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dialysis patients at risk of brain injury, research suggests
Kidney dialysis may be associated with progressive brain injury in those who receive the treatment for many years, according to new research.
Scientists at Glasgow University found the process can cause short-term “cerebral stunning” and found a link between both short and longterm hemodialysis use and brain injury.
For many patients with kidney failure awaiting a kidney transplant or those not suitable for a transplant, dialysis is a lifesaving treatment.
The study, which looked at almost 100 patients using dialysis, measured cerebral blood flow and tested each patient’s cognitive function during and outwith dialysis.
The researchers found blood flow to the brain was reduced during dialysis and patients’ cognitive function decreased as well.
The study also found those patients who remained on dialysis were more at risk of progressive brain injury due to reduced blood flow during the procedure.
Crucially, however, those who had a transplant and stopped dialysis had an improvement in memory and verbal learning brain functions.
While cognitive impairment is commonly seen in this patient group, until now scientists did not know exactly why this occurred.
As a result of this study, researchers now believe reduced blood flow to the brain during dialysis, leading to cerebrovascular disease in the long-term, may be the cause.
Cognitive impairment is very common in patients treated with hemodialysis, with up to 70% found to have it.
Researchers studied 97 patients over a 12-month period.