Explore The Relationship Between Cognitive Function In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis And TCM Syndromes

Objective:To study the general cognitive level in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and the relationship between cognitive function and TCM syndrome type. To find out the effects on cognitive function of long term use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Tripterygium preparation,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and so on. To provide evidence for the preventive treatment and TCM intervention of Alzheimer’s Disease.Methods:The patients were all from the out-patient and ward of Rheumatology of HongHu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between July2013and January2014. RA diagnosis shall be based on RA diagnosis criteria issued by ACR/EULAR in2009/2010. Congitive function was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The diagnostic information was collected by inspection, auscultation-olfaction, inquisition palpation and pulse-feeling. Syndrome diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was made according to TCM syndrome diagnostic criteria of2002. There were109subjects meeting the criteria of study,97cases in the NC group,12in the MCI group. Using the Case-control study, we found out the effects on cognitive function of long term use of anti-inflammatory drugs, and the relationship between cognitive function and TCM syndrome type.Results:l.In this study,109cases of general cognitive level in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (mean27.31±4.11) was included, with97cases of cognitively normal subjects (88.99%) and12cases of cognitive impairment (11.01%).2. With32cases(29.36%), the damp-heat blockage syndrome was the most common syndrome type in this study. The second was yin deficiency of liver and kidney syndrome, of26cases (23.85%). There was no statistical difference in MMSE total score among the five syndromes (z=5.419,p=0.247).3.In this study, a negative correlation was found between MMSE total score and CRP(R=-0.087,p=0.223), but there was no statistically significant difference.4.In this study, there was no statistical difference in MMSE total score, CRP and ESR between Tripterygium wolfordii group and non-tripterygium wolfordii group (p>0.05).5. In this study, no statistically significant difference was found in MMSE total score, CRP and ESR between long term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs group and short term use of non-tripterygium wolfordii group(p>0.05).Conclusions:The results of this study show that the prevalence of cognitive impairment of the elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis was11.01%, which was similar to other domestic reports. Further study is needed to explore the relationship between cognitive function and TCM syndrome type,as well as the effects on cognitive function of long term use of anti- inflammatory drugs.