Cognitive dysfunction and quality of life during pollen season in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis

• Published in: Pediatric allergy and immunology Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 67 - 76
• Main Authors: Papapostolou, Georgia, Kiotseridis, Hampus, Romberg, Kerstin, Dahl, Åslög, Bjermer, Leif, Lindgren, Magnus, Aronsson, David, Tunsäter, Alf, Tufvesson, Ellen, Genuneit, Jon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: adolescents; Allergic rhinitis; Allergy; Antihistamines; association; asthma; Attention; biomarker; Biomarkers; Children; Clinical Medicine; Cognitive ability; Cognitive function; hyperactivity; Immunology; impact; Inflammation; Klinisk medicin; Lungmedicin och allergi; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Memory; of life; Original; ORIGINAL ARTICLES; patterns; Pediatrics; Pollen; pollen season; quality; Quality of life; questionnaire; Questionnaires; Reaction time task; Respiratory Medicine and Allergy; Rhinitis; rhinoconjunctivitis; Seasons; Short term memory; Spatial memory; Steroid hormones; symptoms; Visual perception; pollen season; allergic rhinitis; Cognitive function; biomarker; quality of life
• ISSN: 0905-6157; 1399-3038
• DOI: 10.1111/pai.13328

Background Allergic rhinitis often gives rise to impaired quality of life and is believed to also affect cognitive function. We aimed to examine whether cognitive functions were impaired during grass pollen season in symptomatic allergic children and to relate the degree of impairment to quality of life and biomarkers related to stress and inflammation. Methods Forty‐three grass pollen‐allergic children (age 8‐17 years) with non‐satisfactory effect of medication (antihistamines and nasal steroids daily) during previous seasons were included. In addition, 26 matched non‐allergic children were included as controls. Both groups performed cognitive tests (CANTAB) and completed Quality of Life questionnaires outside and during the pollen season. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for stress and inflammatory biomarkers. Pollen level was measured daily. Results Impaired cognitive function was found in spatial working memory, where the allergic group made more errors compared to the non‐allergic group during pollen season, but not off‐season. No significant differences could be seen between the allergic group and the controls in the other tests investigating visual memory or attention. Quality of health questionnaires revealed more symptoms and impaired quality of life in allergic compared to non‐allergic children, and increased symptoms in allergic children were associated with longer reaction time for simple movement during pollen season. No differences in stress or inflammatory biomarkers could be found between the groups. Conclusion Cognitive function was affected during pollen season in pollen‐allergic children, and the more symptoms the allergic children had, the longer the reaction time in the cognitive tests.