ABSTRACT
Objective: to examine cognitive functions, emotional state and quality of life of patients with Turner syndrome (TS) after growth hormone therapy discontinuation.
Patients and Methods: Anthropometric measurements, cognitive functioning, emotional state and quality of life of eighteen Lithuanian patients with TS were compared to that of age- and sex-matched controls. Height and weight of girls with TS were significantly lower than in the controls, though differences in body mass index were not significant.
Results: Tension-anxiety (10.61±7.21 vs. 6.72±3.98, p=0.02) and depression-dejection (14.72±11.87 vs. 8.49±6.29, p=0.02) were significantly higher, vigor-activity (13.05±4.77 vs. 16.13± 4.36, p=0.04) was significantly lower and scores of cognitive functioning (53.18±29.46 vs. 26.79±7.31 and 96.94±44.59 vs. 58.07±15.43, p=0.001) were significantly higher (showing worse psychomotoric speed) in patients with TS than in the controls. Quality of life (9.53±5.19 vs. 6.35±4.19, p=0.03) in girls with TS was significantly worse than in healthy girls of the same age.
Conclusion, patients with Turner syndrome are shorter, have lower weight, higher waist-to-hip ratio, impaired cognitive functions (worse psychomotoric speed), altered emotional state (higher tension-anxiety and depression-dejection, lower vigor-activity scores) and lower quality of life than age- and sex-matched controls.
© Freund Publishing House Ltd. 2010
