Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination

Nayara Mota

doi:doi:10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13

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Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination

Nayara Mota

Published in Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience (Volume 8, Issue 1)

Received: 26 December 2023 Accepted: 6 January 2024 Published: 18 January 2024

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Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans is a highly letal and hard-to-be-identified fungal disorder, being its neurocognitive impairment practically non-documented in literature. In this experience-based report, integrated analysis of symptomatology, history of life and neurocognitive assessment regarding a clinical case, provided a quick and easy-access identification of cryptococcus neoformans in a 77-year male (right-handed, 12 years of education). A semi-structured interview explored a variety of risk, favorable and influential factors. Neuropsychological battery included MMSE-2, Digit-Span, STROOP, RAVLT, COWAT, and Clock-Drawing Test. Quantitative and qualitative (verbalizations, test execution procedures and attitude) results have been integrated for his neuropsychological characterization. Main impairment occurred in semantics (mental confusion), processing speed and self-regulatory executive functions. Together, these cognitive functions rely on integrity of cortico-subcortical circuits. His verbal episodic memory was null, but this absent condition might be at least partially attributed to history of alcohol abuse. Motor disturbance slightly affected visuospatial praxia. Recommendations to identify rare neuroinfection through a neuropsychological approach include, beyond quantitative test results of a discriminant neurocognitive battery, proper identification of: an episode-related pattern of symptom evolution; a neurocognitive profile which resembles symptom evolution; and qualitative measures of transitory impairment. Thus, the proposed neuropsychological assessment approach is expected to fasten neuroinfection diagnosis and burn letal possibilities, in simplified, yet fidedign and specialized, clinical contexts.

Published in	Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience (Volume 8, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13
Page(s)	12-18
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cryptococcus, Neuroinfection, Neuropsychological Assessment, Differential Diagnosis

References

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APA Style

Mota, N. (2024). Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination. Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience, 8(1), 12-18. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13

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Mota, N. Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination. Clin. Neurol. Neurosci. 2024, 8(1), 12-18. doi: 10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13

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AMA Style

Mota N. Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination. Clin Neurol Neurosci. 2024;8(1):12-18. doi: 10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13

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@article{10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13,
  author = {Nayara Mota},
  title = {Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination},
  journal = {Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience},
  volume = {8},
  number = {1},
  pages = {12-18},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cnn.20240801.13},
  abstract = {Cryptococcus neoformans is a highly letal and hard-to-be-identified fungal disorder, being its neurocognitive impairment practically non-documented in literature. In this experience-based report, integrated analysis of symptomatology, history of life and neurocognitive assessment regarding a clinical case, provided a quick and easy-access identification of cryptococcus neoformans in a 77-year male (right-handed, 12 years of education). A semi-structured interview explored a variety of risk, favorable and influential factors. Neuropsychological battery included MMSE-2, Digit-Span, STROOP, RAVLT, COWAT, and Clock-Drawing Test. Quantitative and qualitative (verbalizations, test execution procedures and attitude) results have been integrated for his neuropsychological characterization. Main impairment occurred in semantics (mental confusion), processing speed and self-regulatory executive functions. Together, these cognitive functions rely on integrity of cortico-subcortical circuits. His verbal episodic memory was null, but this absent condition might be at least partially attributed to history of alcohol abuse. Motor disturbance slightly affected visuospatial praxia. Recommendations to identify rare neuroinfection through a neuropsychological approach include, beyond quantitative test results of a discriminant neurocognitive battery, proper identification of: an episode-related pattern of symptom evolution; a neurocognitive profile which resembles symptom evolution; and qualitative measures of transitory impairment. Thus, the proposed neuropsychological assessment approach is expected to fasten neuroinfection diagnosis and burn letal possibilities, in simplified, yet fidedign and specialized, clinical contexts.
},
 year = {2024}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination
AU  - Nayara Mota
Y1  - 2024/01/18
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13
T2  - Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience
JF  - Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience
JO  - Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience
SP  - 12
EP  - 18
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-8930
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13
AB  - Cryptococcus neoformans is a highly letal and hard-to-be-identified fungal disorder, being its neurocognitive impairment practically non-documented in literature. In this experience-based report, integrated analysis of symptomatology, history of life and neurocognitive assessment regarding a clinical case, provided a quick and easy-access identification of cryptococcus neoformans in a 77-year male (right-handed, 12 years of education). A semi-structured interview explored a variety of risk, favorable and influential factors. Neuropsychological battery included MMSE-2, Digit-Span, STROOP, RAVLT, COWAT, and Clock-Drawing Test. Quantitative and qualitative (verbalizations, test execution procedures and attitude) results have been integrated for his neuropsychological characterization. Main impairment occurred in semantics (mental confusion), processing speed and self-regulatory executive functions. Together, these cognitive functions rely on integrity of cortico-subcortical circuits. His verbal episodic memory was null, but this absent condition might be at least partially attributed to history of alcohol abuse. Motor disturbance slightly affected visuospatial praxia. Recommendations to identify rare neuroinfection through a neuropsychological approach include, beyond quantitative test results of a discriminant neurocognitive battery, proper identification of: an episode-related pattern of symptom evolution; a neurocognitive profile which resembles symptom evolution; and qualitative measures of transitory impairment. Thus, the proposed neuropsychological assessment approach is expected to fasten neuroinfection diagnosis and burn letal possibilities, in simplified, yet fidedign and specialized, clinical contexts.

VL  - 8
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Nayara Mota

Independent Researcher, Salvador, Brazil

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APA Style

Mota, N. (2024). Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination. Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience, 8(1), 12-18. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13

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ACS Style

Mota, N. Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination. Clin. Neurol. Neurosci. 2024, 8(1), 12-18. doi: 10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13

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AMA Style

Mota N. Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination. Clin Neurol Neurosci. 2024;8(1):12-18. doi: 10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13,
  author = {Nayara Mota},
  title = {Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination},
  journal = {Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience},
  volume = {8},
  number = {1},
  pages = {12-18},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cnn.20240801.13},
  abstract = {Cryptococcus neoformans is a highly letal and hard-to-be-identified fungal disorder, being its neurocognitive impairment practically non-documented in literature. In this experience-based report, integrated analysis of symptomatology, history of life and neurocognitive assessment regarding a clinical case, provided a quick and easy-access identification of cryptococcus neoformans in a 77-year male (right-handed, 12 years of education). A semi-structured interview explored a variety of risk, favorable and influential factors. Neuropsychological battery included MMSE-2, Digit-Span, STROOP, RAVLT, COWAT, and Clock-Drawing Test. Quantitative and qualitative (verbalizations, test execution procedures and attitude) results have been integrated for his neuropsychological characterization. Main impairment occurred in semantics (mental confusion), processing speed and self-regulatory executive functions. Together, these cognitive functions rely on integrity of cortico-subcortical circuits. His verbal episodic memory was null, but this absent condition might be at least partially attributed to history of alcohol abuse. Motor disturbance slightly affected visuospatial praxia. Recommendations to identify rare neuroinfection through a neuropsychological approach include, beyond quantitative test results of a discriminant neurocognitive battery, proper identification of: an episode-related pattern of symptom evolution; a neurocognitive profile which resembles symptom evolution; and qualitative measures of transitory impairment. Thus, the proposed neuropsychological assessment approach is expected to fasten neuroinfection diagnosis and burn letal possibilities, in simplified, yet fidedign and specialized, clinical contexts.
},
 year = {2024}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Identifying Cryptococcus Neoformans Neuroinfection Through Neuropsychological Examination
AU  - Nayara Mota
Y1  - 2024/01/18
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13
T2  - Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience
JF  - Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience
JO  - Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience
SP  - 12
EP  - 18
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-8930
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20240801.13
AB  - Cryptococcus neoformans is a highly letal and hard-to-be-identified fungal disorder, being its neurocognitive impairment practically non-documented in literature. In this experience-based report, integrated analysis of symptomatology, history of life and neurocognitive assessment regarding a clinical case, provided a quick and easy-access identification of cryptococcus neoformans in a 77-year male (right-handed, 12 years of education). A semi-structured interview explored a variety of risk, favorable and influential factors. Neuropsychological battery included MMSE-2, Digit-Span, STROOP, RAVLT, COWAT, and Clock-Drawing Test. Quantitative and qualitative (verbalizations, test execution procedures and attitude) results have been integrated for his neuropsychological characterization. Main impairment occurred in semantics (mental confusion), processing speed and self-regulatory executive functions. Together, these cognitive functions rely on integrity of cortico-subcortical circuits. His verbal episodic memory was null, but this absent condition might be at least partially attributed to history of alcohol abuse. Motor disturbance slightly affected visuospatial praxia. Recommendations to identify rare neuroinfection through a neuropsychological approach include, beyond quantitative test results of a discriminant neurocognitive battery, proper identification of: an episode-related pattern of symptom evolution; a neurocognitive profile which resembles symptom evolution; and qualitative measures of transitory impairment. Thus, the proposed neuropsychological assessment approach is expected to fasten neuroinfection diagnosis and burn letal possibilities, in simplified, yet fidedign and specialized, clinical contexts.

VL  - 8
IS  - 1
ER  -

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