TITLE:
Spectrum of Neurological Disorders amongst Patients on Maintenance Haemodialysis in Douala, Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Halle Marie Patrice, Tchouamou Tchouamou Eric Gildas, Fouda Hermine, Gams Massi Daniel, Ngamby Vincent Ebenezer, Tewafeu Denis, Kaze Folefack Francois, Mapoure Njankouo Yacouba
KEYWORDS:
Neurological Disorder, Haemodialysis, Prevalence, Cameroon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nephrology,
Vol.12 No.1,
March
9,
2022
ABSTRACT: Context: Neurologic disorders are common in patients on maintenance haemodialysis (MHD). Data in Sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. Aim: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of neurological disorders amongst patients on MHD in Cameroon. Settings and Design: This was a four-month cross-sectional study carried out at the Douala General Hospital (DGH) a tertiary referral hospital in Cameroon. Methods: The diagnosis of neuropathy was made using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), neuropathic pain with the DN4 score, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) with the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group questionnaire (IRLSSG) and cognitive disorders with the Mini-Mental State Examination test (MMS). Student T and Chi-square tests were used to compare qualitative and quantitative variables. The level of significance was set at p Results: A total of 157 patients were included with 65% being males. The mean age was 48.8 ± 13.7 years. The main comorbidities were hypertension (90.4%), diabetes (19.1%), hepatitis C (10.5%) and HIV infection (10.8%). The median dialysis vintage was 36 (1 - 178) months. The overall prevalence of neurological disorders was 85.4%. The leading type was sensory polyneuropathy (57.3%), cognitive dysfunction (52.9%), neuropathic pain (23%), and restless legs syndrome (17.8%). Male gender was statistically associated with neuropathic pain, while age ≥ 40 years and diabetes were associated with sensory neuropathy and RLS. Conclusions: The burden of neurological disorders is high among patients on MHD as up to 4/5 of them had neurological involvement dominated by sensory polyneuropathy and cognitive dysfunction.