Poster (15W221)

A Prospective Assessment of Cognitive Performance in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Reveals Persistent Visuospatial Memory Deficits

Author(s)

Kennedy PJ1,2, Clarke G1,2, Allen AP1,2, O’Neill A1, Groeger JA3#, Quigley EMM1,4##, Shanahan F1,4, Cryan JF1,5, Dinan TG1,2

Department(s)/Institutions

1APC Microbiome Institute, 2Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, 3School of Applied Psychology, 4Department of Medicine, 5Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. #Current address: Department of Psychology, University of Hull, England, United Kingdom.

Aims/Background

Recently, patients with IBS were found to exhibit visuospatial memory deficits (Kennedy et al., 2014). However, a prospective assessment is essential to confirm if cognitive dysfunction is a stable feature of IBS. In this study we aimed to prospectively assess visuospatial memory performance in IBS, in comparison to disease controls [Crohn’s diesase (CD] and healthy controls (HC).

Method

At baseline (Visit 1) and 6 months (Visit 2), IBS patients (baseline n=39; age (M): 28 yrs), matched CD patients (baseline n=18;age (M):32 yrs), and matched HC (baseline n=40;age (M):28 yrs), were assessed using a selection of cognitive tests from the CANTAB and Stroop test. Abdominal pain severity at time of testing was reported by IBS patients on a scale ranging from 0-100. Results: At Visit 1 & 2,IBS patients displayed visuospatial memory deficits [Paired Associates Learning (PAL) test]; greater errors at the 6 pattern stage (baseline: p< 0.05), which also approached significance across Visit 1 & 2 (p=0.05); greater number of trials needed to complete the PAL [Visit 1 & 2 (p<0.05)]. Pain severity did not correlate with PAL performance (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Visuospatial memory dysfunction is a stable feature of IBS. These results may inform future management of this debilitating disorder in which there is a great unmet medical need.

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