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Cognitive impairment in the HTLV-1 infection: a comparative study associated with functional performance

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Abstract

Human T cell leukemia virus type-I (HTLV-1) infection courses with a myelopathy, the tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). In a case-control study, we compared the neuropsychological profile and functional characteristics in two case HTLV-1-infected groups (asymptomatic and with HAM/TSP) with a control group negative for HTLV-1. Subjects were paired for age, sex, and educational features. The case group differed from control group in neuropsychological measures such as in episodic memory recall, executive functions, and fine motor dexterity measure. Individuals with HAM/TSP have more depressive symptoms and worst performance in activities of daily living (ADL) presenting a less functionality. In multivariate models, the fine motor performance, the executive functioning, the recognition memory, and the depressive symptoms explained part of the variance in functionality. Those findings may contribute to understand of everyday life impairments and limitations of HTLV-1-infected population and to organize the rehabilitation. Once more, based in neuropsychological and functional data, we can reaffirm that HTLV-1 is never a benign condition, but sometimes it is only in a stage coursing with less symptoms.

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Funding

This study was financed by Brazilian public governmental agencies: CAPES, CNPq, and FAPEMIG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Tecnologia em Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Jonas Jardim de Paula, Renata Caetano Vieira de Faria, Leandro Fernandes Malloy-Diniz, Marco Aurélio Romano-Silva, Debora Marques de Miranda & Rodrigo Nicolato

  2. GIPH, Fundação HEMOMINAS, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Luiz Claúdio Romanelli & Anna Barbara Proietti

  3. Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Leandro Fernandes Malloy-Diniz, Marco Aurélio Romano-Silva & Rodrigo Nicolato

  4. Departamento de Pediatria Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Debora Marques de Miranda

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  1. Jonas Jardim de Paula
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  2. Luiz Claúdio Romanelli
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  3. Renata Caetano Vieira de Faria
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  6. Marco Aurélio Romano-Silva
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  8. Rodrigo Nicolato
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Correspondence to Jonas Jardim de Paula.

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de Paula, J.J., Romanelli, L.C., de Faria, R.C.V. et al. Cognitive impairment in the HTLV-1 infection: a comparative study associated with functional performance. J. Neurovirol. 27, 849–856 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13365-020-00905-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13365-020-00905-5

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