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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuroinfectious Diseases
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1453653

Neurocognitive deficits after botulism: A clinical case series study

Provisionally accepted
Laura Rosenqvist Laura Rosenqvist *Charlotte Sandvei Charlotte Sandvei Sigurdur Skarphedinsson Sigurdur Skarphedinsson
  • Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Purpose: This case study examined long-term cognitive deficits after botulism. Only a very limited number of studies on post-acute cognitive impairment after botulism exist, and data is incomplete. Method: A semi-structured interview on long-term cognitive consequences of botulism was conducted for six family members, who contracted the infection after ingestion of lumpfish-roe 2.5 years ago. Two of the family members underwent neuropsychological assessment on attention, memory, and executive functioning as well. Finding: Results of the semi-structured interviews showed individual subjective cognitive deficits across processing speed, attention, concentration, short-and long-term memory, and executive functioning. Test results showed mild cognitive impairment in attention and mild-moderate deficits in executive functioning. Conclusion: These results support previous findings that patients of various infectious diseases may suffer unspecific long-term neurocognitive deficits. Assessment and initiation of relevant post-acute treatment and rehabilitation might be central to prognosis, functional ability, and psychological well-being.

    Keywords: Botulism, long-term effects, cognitive impairment, neuropsychological assessment, case study series

    Received: 23 Jun 2024; Accepted: 29 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Rosenqvist, Sandvei and Skarphedinsson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Laura Rosenqvist, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.