Prevalence and Correlates of Cognitive Impairment in Kidney Transplant Patients Using the DemTect—Results of a KTx360 Substudy

Cognitive impairment in kidney transplantation (KTx) patients is associated with allograft survival and mortality. However, the prevalence of cognitive impairment after KTx is still understudied. Thus, we aimed to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment in KTx patients and to identify sociodemographic, medical, donation-specific, and psychological variables associated with cognitive impairment. In this cross-sectional two-center study, 583 KTx patients participated in a structured post-transplant care program. The DemTect was used to assess cognition, and cognitive impairment was defined as a score of 30 kg/m2). Using logistic regression analysis, all variables except age remained significant. Our results suggest that cognitive impairment affects a significant number of patients after KTx. Transplant centers may consider screening for cognitive impairment using objective tests, especially in patients with a high-risk profile. Furthermore, studies with longitudinal designs are required in order to assess moderators and mediators for cognitive trajectories

Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication Following Organ Transplantation

Organ transplantation is the best and to some extent only option for many patients with chronic organ failure. Usually after successful transplantation patients experience a significant improvement of their condition. Nevertheless, they are not cured but still chronically ill. Living with an organ transplant requires consequent immunosuppression intake, regular physician visits and following the recommendations regarding infection prevention. These factors are important to secure a long transplant survival. Especially non-adherence to immunosuppressants is known as a risk factor for transplant rejection. There are several reasons for non-adherent behavior. However identifying the individual motivations is crucial for addressing them correctly. The aim of this article is to give an overview of factors influencing adherence, to introduce options to assess adherence and to present ways to improve adherence. Randomized-controlled intervention studies are presented and on that basis recommendations for clinical practice are derived