LYME ENCEPHALOPATHY - LONG-TERM NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DEFICITS YEARS AFTER ACUTE NEUROBORRELIOSIS

We studied long-term cognitive deficits in 20 patients with previously diagnosed Lyme borreliosis several years (average 51.6 months) after their acute phase of illness. Compared with an age- and education matc hed control group Lyme patients revealed deficits of verbal memory, me ntal flexibility, verbal associative functions and articulation, but p erformed adequately on tests of intellectual and problem solving skill s, sustained attention, visuoconstructive abilities and mental speed. The late cognitive outcome was unrelated to disease variables from the acute stage of illness, but also to the interval elapsed since infect ion with B.burgdorferi. These and similar observations (Krupp et al. 1 991) suggest that the so-called Lyme encephalopathy may be associated with a long-lasting neuropsychological deficit predominantly affecting mnestic functions.