Cognitive impact of chronic opioid use: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: The impact of chronic opioid use has been linked to a wide range of cognitive disorders, ranging from minor deficits in cognitive abilities such as attention, learning, memory and executive functions. The objective of this work is to carry out a systematic review to investigate the cognitive impact in patients who chronically use opioids and to evaluate the severity of this impact. Material and methods: Randomized clinical trials, case-control studies, prospective and retrospective cohorts werw evaluated in two databases: PubMed and Cochrane Central. The search in english, spanish and portuguese languages of  stududies carried out in adult humans an chronic use of opioids and their cognitive impact. Results: 7 studies were selected, 5 of wich the patients used Tramadol and the negative cognitive impact was verified, 1 study with the use of Tapentadol with a positive impact on cognition and 1 study with the use of Hydrocodone with a positive impact on neurocognition of the patients. Conclusion: (In conclusion, despite the limitations found here, we consider that tramadol has a negative impact on neurocognition, which does not occur in relation to tapentadol and hydrocodone, which presents an improvement in the quality of life and cognition of patients