Emotional state, cognitive functioning and quality of life of adult women with Turner syndrome in Lithuania

Abstract

AimThe aim was to analyze emotional state, cognitive functioning and quality of life (QoL) of adult women with Turner syndrome (TS) in Lithuania. Patients and methodsOf all invited adult TS patients from Lithuanian TS database (n = 150), 68 (age 18–60, average 30.2 ± 9.0 years) agreed and were recruited for the study, as well as 68 age-matched healthy control women. Emotional state was evaluated by Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire, cognitive functioning by Trail Making Test and Digit Span Test (DST) of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and QoL by WHO Brief Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHO QoL). ResultsPatients with TS were of a significantly shorter stature (p < .001) than age-matched control women and than the 3rd percentile of the National Standards of Lithuania.After the adjustment for height, weight and body mass index (BMI), no significant differences in emotional state were detected, though without the adjustment, depression-dejection (p = .004) score was significantly higher in TS women than in age-matched controls. Significantly worse cognitive functioning (attention capacity, visual scanning abilities, executive function and psychomotor speed, p < .001), as well as worse psychological (p = .002) and social (p = .006) aspects of QoL were found after the adjustment for height, weight and BMI in adult women with TS than in age-matched controls. ConclusionIn conclusion, after the adjustment for height, weight and BMI, adult women with Turner syndrome in Lithuania have impaired cognitive functioning and worse psychological and social aspects of QoL, but not emotional state and physical and environmental aspects of QoL in comparison to age-matched healthy women.