@article{article_1584077, title={Can cognitive impairment be observed independently of neurological symptoms in Behcet’s disease?}, journal={Pamukkale Medical Journal}, volume={18}, pages={159–165}, year={2025}, DOI={10.31362/patd.1584077}, url={https://izlik.org/JA83CC78FB}, author={Karstarlı Bakay, Özge Sevil and Bakay, Umut and Bora, Pinar}, keywords={Behçet disease, cognitive impairment, montreal cognitive assessment}, abstract={Purpose: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic, multisystem inflammatory disorder that causes mortality and
morbidity. Despite data indicating cognitive impairment in patients without neurological involvement, there is
currently no consensus on how to screen patients. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) is a practical,
easy-to-use screening scale that can detect mild cognitive impairment. We aimed to detect cognitive dysfunction
with MOCA in BD without neurological findings.
Materials and methods: This prospective study included patients diagnosed with BD without neurological
findings, and healthy individuals matched for age, gender, and education. Behçet’s Disease Current Activity
Form (BDCAF) was applied to determine disease activity, and MOCA was applied to all participants.
Results: The total score of the MOCA scale was significantly lower in Behçet’s patients than in the control group
(p=0.001). While no difference was found between BD and controls in terms of MOCA subtests ‘‘Orientation’’
and ‘‘Abstraction’’ (p=0.667, p=0.077, respectively), scores in other subtests were significantly lower in patients.
A negative correlation was found between BDCAF scores and total MOCA scores (r=-0.454, p=0.000). A positive
correlation was found between total MOCA score and years of education (r=0.345, p=0.000).
Conclusion: In BD, a decrease in cognitive functions may exist without neurological involvement. Cognitive
screening of patients with BD is crucial for detecting subclinical inflammation and improving quality of life. Our
results demonstrate that the MOCA is an effective tool for detecting cognitive function decline. However, further
large-scale, multi-center studies are needed to establish its routine use.}, number={1}, organization={yok}