Neuropsychological assessment, neuroimaging, and neuropsychiatric evaluation in pediatric and adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD)

Review

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Authors: Christopher L Edwards, Renee Dunn Raynor, Miriam Feliu, Camela McDougald, Stephanie Johnson, et al

Published Date January 2007 Volume 2007:3(6) Pages 705 - 709

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S518

Christopher L Edwards¹, Renee Dunn Raynor¹, Miriam Feliu¹, Camela McDougald¹, Stephanie Johnson², Donald Schmechel³, Mary Wood¹, Gary G Bennett⁴, Patrick Saurona⁵, Melanie Bonner¹, Chante’ Wellington¹, Laura M DeCastro⁶, Elaine Whitworth⁶, Mary Abrams⁶, Patrick Logue¹, Lekisha Edwards¹, Salutario Martinez⁷, Keith E Whitfield⁸

¹Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; ²American Psychological Association, Science Directorate, Washington, DC, USA; ³Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; ⁴Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; ⁵Taub Institute For Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and The Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; ⁶Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; ⁷Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; ⁸Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

Abstract: Traditionally, neuropsychological deficits due to Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) have been understudied in adults. We have begun to suspect, however, that symptomatic and asymptomatic Cerebrovascular Events (CVE) may account for an alarming number of deficits in this population. In the current brief review, we critically evaluated the pediatric and adult literatures on the neurocognitive effects of SCD. We highlighted the studies that have been published on this topic and posit that early detection of CVE via neurocognitive testing, neuropsychiatric evaluations, and neuroimaging may significantly reduce adult cognitive and functional morbidities.

Keywords: cerebral vascular event, neuropsychological assessment, sickle cell disease, neuroimaging

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