Doença de Chagas: indicadores cognitivos, de transtorno orgânico cerebral, de uso de álcool e qualidade de vida / Chagas Disease: cognitive evidences of organic cerebral disorder, problems related to the use of alcohol, and quality of life.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2006

RESUMO

Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is a protozoan infection caused by the flagellate Trypanosoma cruzi, which multiplies in the human body. Even though investigations on this subject are scarce, the relationship between psychological impairment and Chagas disease and its effect on the life and behavior of human reservoirs have already been acknowledged. By using specific psychological tests, this study aims to evaluate the cognitive performance, memory, quality of life, evidences of organic cerebral disorder and problems related to the use of alcohol in a chronically chagasic group compared to a non-chagasic group - both living in the same community -, and thus to analyze the psychosocial impact of Chagas disease on the reservoirs? lives. The 80 participants were divided into two groups: G1-positive serology and G2-negative serology, paired according to age, sex and schooling, excluding those who had any sensorial handicap as well as any previously diagnosed psychiatric disorders. All the participants were individually evaluated obeying a double blind criteria and using the following instruments: Non-Verbal Intelligence Test (INV), Audio and Visual Memory Test (CEPA ? Center for Applied Psychology), World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-bref), the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test, and the CAGE screening for Alcoholism. Data were submitted to statistical analysis and the two groups were compared; and then, compared to normative (p<0.05). By comparing the two groups, a greater cognitive impairment (with statistical significance) was detected in the chagasic group. As to visual and audio memories, evidences of organic cerebral disorder, and problems related to the use of alcohol, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. As in relation to the normative data, minding the statistical significance, both groups showed greater cognitive impairment - general as well as specific -, as well as poorer quality of life in the physical and in the psychological level, and greater evidence of problems related to the use of alcohol. Among the variables under examination, the intellectual level was the one with greater statistical significance and better discriminative power, when comparing the two groups - thus indicating that the chagasic participants tend to show inferior achievement when cognitive aspects are under evaluation. Upon comparing groups who live in the same community, it was observed that the impact of Chagas disease over the infected subjects - when expressed in terms of cognitive impairment and poorer quality of life -, is relative, demonstrating that the nearly absolute lack of resources both groups suffer from keep them far, in an adverse way, from the normative parameters; this reveals the need for public policies that can effectively implement health practices which favor psychosocial developments in needy communities

ASSUNTO(S)

chagas disease cognição memory quality of life cognition organic cerebral disorder qualidade de vida memória palavras-chaves: doença de chagas transtorno orgânico cerebral

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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