Cognitive Dysfunction, an Increasingly Valued Long-Term Impairment in Acromegaly

Abstract

Acromegaly is a chronic disease caused by the overproduction of growth hormone (GH) and accompanying insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is often caused by GH-secreting pituitary adenomas. In addition to its somatic burden, a growing number of studies have found that patients suffering from acromegaly exhibit psychosocial and personality changes. Over the past 70 years, there has been increasing interest in the cognitive impairment and neuropsychological issues of patients with acromegaly, and a variety of neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests have been used to measure cognitive changes in patients. The impact of disease progression status, treatment modalities, and various comorbidities on cognitive function and the mechanisms of cognitive impairment in patients with acromegaly are therefore outlined in this review. Multidisciplinary assessment has important implications for the management of acromegaly, particularly in relation to cognitive function. Here, we summarize the relevant literature concerning cognitive-behavioral research on acromegaly to demonstrate the impact of long-term impairment caused by GH and IGF-1 on the cognitive behavior of patients.