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The cognitive effects of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) therapy: a controlled clinical trial using computerised assessments
Walker LG, Wesnes KP, Heys SD, Walker MB, Lolley J, Eremin O.. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 1996-12-01
Topic: Drug trials: efficacy and safety
It has been suggested that patients undergoing treatment with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) may develop cognitive impairment. To evaluate these effects, 17 patients with advanced colorectal cancer took part in a randomised, parallel group study of rIL-2 with chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil and leucovorin) and chemotherapy alone. Assessments were carried out daily whilst patients were in hospital and regularly between cycles of treatment using state-of-the-art computerised cognitive assessment, as well as traditional psychometric tests. Rigorous discontinuation criteria were applied to ensure that the effect of time-related variables did not influence the results. One patient developed repeated transient psychotic episodes associated with rIL-2 infusions and another regularly became confused. Computerised cognitive assessments revealed that immunochemotherapy produced significant impairment in various tasks, especially reaction time, picture recognition and vigilance. These effects were not due to sleep deprivation or pyrexia. For most patients, cognitive functioning was restored to the baseline level within 10 days following the cessation of rIL-2. In conclusion, during infusions of rIL-2, some patients experience severe confusion and amnesia which resembles some of the major cognitive impairments associated with dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. Computerised cognitive assessment using the Cognitive Drug Research system provides a feasible, sensitive and reliable method of evaluating cognitive changes in patients with cancer. It could usefully be included in quality of life assessments in clinical trials where treatment-related cognitive changes need to be evaluated.
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APA 7th
Walker, L. G., Wesnes, K. P., Heys, S. D., Walker, M. B., Lolley, J., & Eremin, O. (1996). The cognitive effects of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) therapy: a controlled clinical trial using computerised assessments. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0959-8049(96)00300-0
Vancouver
Walker LG, Wesnes KP, Heys SD, Walker MB, Lolley J, Eremin O. The cognitive effects of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) therapy: a controlled clinical trial using computerised assessments. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990). 1996. doi:10.1016/s0959-8049(96)00300-0. PMID: 9038610.
BibTeX
@article{walker1996-9038610,
author = {Walker, L. G. and Wesnes, K. P. and Heys, S. D. and Walker, M. B. and Lolley, J. and Eremin, O.},
title = {{The cognitive effects of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) therapy: a controlled clinical trial using computerised assessments}},
journal = {European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990)},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.1016/s0959-8049(96)00300-0},
pmid = {9038610},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0959-8049(96)00300-0}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- It has been suggested that patients undergoing treatment with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) may develop cognitive impairment.
- Rigorous discontinuation criteria were applied to ensure that the effect of time-related variables did not influence the results.
- One patient developed repeated transient psychotic episodes associated with rIL-2 infusions and another regularly became confused.
- Computerised cognitive assessments revealed that immunochemotherapy produced significant impairment in various tasks, especially reaction time, picture recognition and vigilance.
- In conclusion, during infusions of rIL-2, some patients experience severe confusion and amnesia which resembles some of the major cognitive impairments associated with dementias such as Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants17
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 71/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 41 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 71 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1996 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 17 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9038610) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 41 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 41 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 71 out of 100. |
| Total | 71 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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