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Adults with sickle cell disease suffer mental impairment, study finds

Source: Los Angeles Times

Adults with even mild forms of sickle cell disease scored lower on tests of brain function than their healthy cohorts, suggesting that the disorder has a bigger impact on the brain than had previously been recognized, researchers reported Tuesday. The effects were found to become more severe with increasing age and more severe presentations of the disorder. A recent report showed that children with the disorder can suffer mental impairment, but the new study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. is the first to look at brain function in adults. Sickle cell disease, which affects about one in every 350 African American children, is a genetic disorder that causes red blood cells to assume a sickle shape under stress, clogging blood vessels and producing episodes of excruciating pain, called crises. The clogged vessels can damage all internal organs and can be lethal if not treated. At least a quarter of victims suffer strokes. Most victims used to die in childhood or adolescence, but improvements in therapy have increased lifespans past the age of 50.

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