A neuropsychological study of the postpolio syndrome: Support for depression without neuropsychological impairment

Objective: This study aimed to examine cognitive functioning in postpolio s yndrome (PPS) after controlling for the effects of depression and illness b ehavior. Background: Few studies have investigated the possible cognitive s equelae of PPS, despite widespread documented subjective complaints of "men tal fatigue." Method: A total of 23 PPS sufferers, 20 polio survivors witho ut PPS, and 22 matched controls were compared using the Beck Depression Inv entory-II; the Illness Behaviour Questionnaire: a chronic fatigue syndrome symptom checklist, and several measures of memory, attention, and concentra tion, including the Brown-Petersen Task, Stroop Test, Austin Maze, Californ ia Verbal Learning Test, Trail Making Test, Controlled Oral Word Associatio n Test. and Symbol-Digit Modalities Test. Results: In those participants wi th a medically confirmed diagnosis of PPS, there was a significantly higher level of depressive and hypochondriacal symptomatology as compared with th e other two groups. Nevertheless, no significant differences existed betwee n the three groups on neuropsychological measures. Conclusions: These resul ts indicate that the attention and memory difficulties reported by PPS suff erers may be linked to the physical or psychological manifestations of the illness rather than to objective decrements in cognitive performance.