The clinical epidemiological features of
cognitive impairment in Chinese older adult patients undergoing
hemodialysis are not clear, we aimed to identify the extent and patterns of
cognitive impairment among those patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 613
hemodialysis patients aged 50 to 80 from 11 centers in Beijing. A neuropsychological battery of 11 tests covering domains of attention/processing speed, executive function, memory, language, and visuospatial function was applied, patients were classified as none, mild, or major
cognitive impairment according to the fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for
cognitive impairment. Compared with Chinese population norms, 37.2% of the participants had
mild cognitive impairment, 43.7% had major
cognitive impairment. Memory and language were the most severe impaired domains in the
mild cognitive impairment group, attention and visuospatial function domains were the most serious impaired domains in the major
cognitive impairment group. Concomitant impairment across multiple cognitive domains was common. Factors associated with major
cognitive impairment included age, education level, history of
stroke and
hypertension, dialysis vintage, and single-pool Kt/V. There is a high frequency of
cognitive impairment in Chinese older adult
hemodialysis patients, with varying severity and concomitant impairment across multiple domains.