Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT2995

Acromegaly is a rare disease caused by the presence of a sporadic growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary/neuroendocrine adenoma. Patients with acromegaly progressively go through disfigurement of somatic features and relevant systemic manifestations, induced by chronic exposure to growth hormone. In this context of multimorbidity, it is also necessary to assess the cognitive and neuropsychological picture, which is often compromised. In order to perform a comprehensive assessment of cognitive performance and neuropsychological profile in a cohort of acromegalic patients and investigate their correlation with clinical, biochemical and prognostic features, a single-center prospective study was conducted at our Institution in 2023. The population examined consisted of 50 acromegalic patients, 27 women (54%) and 23 men (46%), being treated at the Gemelli Polyclinic Pituitary Outpatient Clinic. All of them were subjected to various neuropsychological questionnaires and tests on reported quality of life. In addition, they were administered neurocognitive tests to the 7 patients in the cohort who were over 65 years old. The most prominent complaints found were fatigue (84%), irritability (82%), emotional changes (76%), work difficulties (70%), increased sensitivity to stress (68%), frustration (62%), physical pain (56%), decreased libido (56%), memory problems (52%) and sadness (50%). The results of the study showed that cognitive and neuropsychological disorders are present to a greater extent in patients with acromegaly than those found in the general population. These alterations were also correlated with independent factors such as age, gender, and the results of the AcroQoL questionnaire, thus allowing the identification of the categories of acromegalic patients at higher risk for neuropsychological disorders. In conclusion, it is essential, in taking care of the patient with acromegaly, to undertake a multidisciplinary diagnostic-therapeutic pathway that is able to take into account the peculiarities of the patient’s neurocognitive and neuropsychological profile, with a view to best practice.