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Long-term linguistic outcome in adults with congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Falkenius Schmidt, Karolina LU ; Nyström, Anastasia LU ; Karltorp, Eva ; Magnusson, Måns LU orcid and Löfkvist, Ulrika (2024) In Infectious Diseases 56(1). p.32-41
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common prenatal infection and the main infectious cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities in developed countries. Long-term neuropsychological outcome of cCMV infection is still not well understood. This is the first study that presents linguistic follow-up data performed on adults who were infected in utero.

METHOD: All individuals from a universal newborn CMV screening study in Sweden sampled from 1977 to 1985 were invited to participate in a follow-up study. 34/71 persons (48%) with cCMV and 22/46 controls (48%) were enrolled. Participants were between 34 and 43 years. Linguistic ability was evaluated with two-word fluency tasks (FAS letter fluency and verb fluency),... (More)

BACKGROUND: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common prenatal infection and the main infectious cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities in developed countries. Long-term neuropsychological outcome of cCMV infection is still not well understood. This is the first study that presents linguistic follow-up data performed on adults who were infected in utero.

METHOD: All individuals from a universal newborn CMV screening study in Sweden sampled from 1977 to 1985 were invited to participate in a follow-up study. 34/71 persons (48%) with cCMV and 22/46 controls (48%) were enrolled. Participants were between 34 and 43 years. Linguistic ability was evaluated with two-word fluency tasks (FAS letter fluency and verb fluency), and a qualitative analysis of the participants' word retrieval strategies was conducted.

RESULTS: No statistically significant group differences were found in the total number of retrieved words. When related to Swedish norm data, 43% of participants with cCMV infection, all asymptomatic at birth, had adequate results on both FAS and verb fluency tasks, compared to 86% of the controls. Education level was the most important factor for word fluency ability in both groups. Adults with cCMV infection and higher education levels used less effective retrieval strategies on FAS letter fluency than controls.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests that adults with cCMV infection may have deficits in the word retrieval process, even in the absence of known neurodevelopmental disorders. Long-term effects of cCMV infection may exist even in those with asymptomatic infection at birth.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Infectious Diseases
volume
56
issue
1
pages
32 - 41
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • scopus:85173780943
  • pmid:37795972
ISSN
2374-4235
DOI
10.1080/23744235.2023.2263567
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
da182098-f28e-4747-aece-384389b321ad
date added to LUP
2023-10-12 10:52:07
date last changed
2024-04-16 13:25:12
@article{da182098-f28e-4747-aece-384389b321ad,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common prenatal infection and the main infectious cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities in developed countries. Long-term neuropsychological outcome of cCMV infection is still not well understood. This is the first study that presents linguistic follow-up data performed on adults who were infected in utero.</p><p>METHOD: All individuals from a universal newborn CMV screening study in Sweden sampled from 1977 to 1985 were invited to participate in a follow-up study. 34/71 persons (48%) with cCMV and 22/46 controls (48%) were enrolled. Participants were between 34 and 43 years. Linguistic ability was evaluated with two-word fluency tasks (FAS letter fluency and verb fluency), and a qualitative analysis of the participants' word retrieval strategies was conducted.</p><p>RESULTS: No statistically significant group differences were found in the total number of retrieved words. When related to Swedish norm data, 43% of participants with cCMV infection, all asymptomatic at birth, had adequate results on both FAS and verb fluency tasks, compared to 86% of the controls. Education level was the most important factor for word fluency ability in both groups. Adults with cCMV infection and higher education levels used less effective retrieval strategies on FAS letter fluency than controls.</p><p>CONCLUSION: This study suggests that adults with cCMV infection may have deficits in the word retrieval process, even in the absence of known neurodevelopmental disorders. Long-term effects of cCMV infection may exist even in those with asymptomatic infection at birth.</p>}},
  author       = {{Falkenius Schmidt, Karolina and Nyström, Anastasia and Karltorp, Eva and Magnusson, Måns and Löfkvist, Ulrika}},
  issn         = {{2374-4235}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{32--41}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Infectious Diseases}},
  title        = {{Long-term linguistic outcome in adults with congenital cytomegalovirus infection}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2023.2263567}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/23744235.2023.2263567}},
  volume       = {{56}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}