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Neuropsychological Assessment in Elderly Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treated with Dutasteride

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A Correction to this article was published on 26 November 2018

This article has been updated

Abstract

Background and Objective

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease found in elderly men and 5α-reductase (5α-R) inhibitors are a commonly used treatment option. 5α-reduced steroids are compounds that play a role in several functions across different organs and systems. In the adult brain, 5α-R accounts for neuroactive steroid production. Whether neuropsychological impairment could be due to dutasteride treatment, a 5α-R inhibitor affecting the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is still unknown. The aim of our study was to investigate neuropsychological features in men receiving dutasteride.

Methods

The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), the Beck Depression Inventory second edition (BDI-II) and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire were administered in order to explore both cognitive impairment and psychological features.

Results

In a sample of BPH patients (n = 40; mean age 71.4 ± 7.4 years), men receiving dutasteride showed no significant differences during the neuropsychological assessment in comparison with an age-matched control group, consisting of BPH men not receiving dutasteride (p < 0.05). No significant associations were recorded between treatment duration and any of the administered tests.

Conclusions

This is the first study investigating the neuropsychological features in dutasteride users. Our preliminary data are consistent with the safety of dutasteride under a mental profile.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Antonino Catalano, Federica Bellone, Maria Papalia, Carmen Lasco, Giorgio Basile, Alberto Sardella, Giacomo Nicocia, Nunziata Morabito & Antonino Lasco

  2. Department of Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Education and Cultural Studies, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Gabriella Martino

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital “G. Martino”, Via C. Valeria, 98125, Messina, Italy

    Antonino Catalano

Authors
  1. Antonino Catalano
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Correspondence to Antonino Catalano.

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Funding

This work received no funding.

Conflicts of interest

Catalano A, Martino G, Bellone F, Papalia M, Lasco C, Basile G, Sardella A, Nicocia G, Morabito N, Lasco A declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of our institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. The Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Messina approved the protocol of this study (approval number: 0007511).

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised. Authors’ names, which previously read: Catalano Antonino, Martino Gabriella, Bellone Federica, Papalia Maria, Lasco Carmen, Basile Giorgio, Sardella Alberto, Nicocia Giacomo, Morabito Nunziata, Lasco Antonino should read: Antonino Catalano, Gabriella Martino, Federica Bellone, Maria Papalia, Carmen Lasco, Giorgio Basile, Alberto Sardella, Giacomo Nicocia, Nunziata Morabito, Antonino Lasco.

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Catalano, A., Martino, G., Bellone, F. et al. Neuropsychological Assessment in Elderly Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treated with Dutasteride. Clin Drug Investig 39, 97–102 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40261-018-0720-7

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