Perfil cognitivo de crianças e adolescentes com fibrose cística: revisão integrativa da literatura

Abstract

Background: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a rare, progressive disease that primarily affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. These characteristics can impact the development of patients with cystic fibrosis by hindering their ability to absorb nutrients and causing inflammatory processes. In addition, the genetic manifestation of the disease also affects the Central Nervous System (CNS), which can impact children and adolescents during sensitive periods of development. Given this scenario, deepening research in the area of mental health of children and adolescents can help health teams and families to improve their interventions and have an impact on the way in which children and adolescents deal with their illness. Objectives: Thus, the objective of the present study is to investigate the cognitive development profile of children and adolescents with CF. Methodology: For this purpose, an integrative literature review was developed and carried out in 5 databases and 5 national and international repositories of theses and dissertations. The searches were exported to the Rayyan Intelligent Systematic Review tool, which helped exclude duplicate studies that did not meet the research problem. Results: The results of the integrative review consisted of 12 studies that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. In these studies, the predominance of North American and European literature on the subject was evident. The main focus of the studies was on the investigation of Executive Functions (EF) and Attention and on the role of environmental factors as an influence on the development of cognitive functions and their repercussions, notably on the acquisition of autonomy, which is mainly expressed in adherence to treatment. In addition, the studies also evidenced a trend in the investigation of the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in patients with CF. Conclusions: The studies indicate that children and adolescents with CF are vulnerable to developmental complications, but the causes are multifactorial and may be related to the association of clinical exacerbations with psychosocial factors. Studies on the prevalence of ADHD in CF patients are inconclusive to date and more research in this area needs to be developed, adopting standardized neuropsychological assessment protocols