Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Tacrolimus is known to cause neurotoxicities that may be more severe in older individuals. We aimed to compare the neurocognitive side effects of immediate release (IR) and LCP tacrolimus in older kidney transplant recipients in the early post-transplant period. Methods: In this single c...

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Main Authors: Hadia Lala Gul, Macey Sockolov, Katherine Howes, Amanpreet Kaur, Michelle Occhipinti, Heejung Bang, Muna Alnimri, Yihung Huang, Joy Dray, Ling-Xin Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Transplantation Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451959625000083
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author Hadia Lala Gul
Macey Sockolov
Katherine Howes
Amanpreet Kaur
Michelle Occhipinti
Heejung Bang
Muna Alnimri
Yihung Huang
Joy Dray
Ling-Xin Chen
author_facet Hadia Lala Gul
Macey Sockolov
Katherine Howes
Amanpreet Kaur
Michelle Occhipinti
Heejung Bang
Muna Alnimri
Yihung Huang
Joy Dray
Ling-Xin Chen
author_sort Hadia Lala Gul
collection DOAJ
description Background: Tacrolimus is known to cause neurotoxicities that may be more severe in older individuals. We aimed to compare the neurocognitive side effects of immediate release (IR) and LCP tacrolimus in older kidney transplant recipients in the early post-transplant period. Methods: In this single center, open-label, randomized and controlled trial of 64 kidney transplant recipients aged 60 or above, participants were randomized to LCP tacrolimus or IR tacrolimus between 4- and 8-weeks post-transplantation and followed for 6-weeks. The primary outcome of neurocognitive performance at 6-weeks compared with baseline was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life as measured by the Quality of Life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST) and Organ Transplant Symptom and Wellbeing Instrument (OTSWI). Results: 32 patients were randomized to IR tacrolimus and 31 to LCP tacrolimus. In the IR tacrolimus arm, the MOCA score increased by 1.2 points (SD 2.1) and the DSST score increased by 1.0 points (SD 7.8). In the LCP tacrolimus arm, the MOCA score increased by 0.2 points (SD 2.9) and the DSST score increased by 1.3 points (SD 7.5). No statistically significant difference was detected between arms in MOCA, DSST, QUEST or OTSWI scores. There was a trend toward improvement in tremor severity in the LCP tacrolimus arm. Conclusions: No improvement was found in MoCA or DSST performance in patients switched to LCP tacrolimus as compared to IR tacrolimus after 6 weeks of exposure in the early post-transplant period.
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spelling doaj-art-1e93b4f4046a4e099e2916c51f89e6b62025-08-20T03:46:49ZengElsevierTransplantation Reports2451-95962025-09-0110310017810.1016/j.tpr.2025.100178Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trialHadia Lala Gul0Macey Sockolov1Katherine Howes2Amanpreet Kaur3Michelle Occhipinti4Heejung Bang5Muna Alnimri6Yihung Huang7Joy Dray8Ling-Xin Chen9Division of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDivision of Transplant Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States; Corresponding author at: 4010V Street Suite 2237, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States.Background: Tacrolimus is known to cause neurotoxicities that may be more severe in older individuals. We aimed to compare the neurocognitive side effects of immediate release (IR) and LCP tacrolimus in older kidney transplant recipients in the early post-transplant period. Methods: In this single center, open-label, randomized and controlled trial of 64 kidney transplant recipients aged 60 or above, participants were randomized to LCP tacrolimus or IR tacrolimus between 4- and 8-weeks post-transplantation and followed for 6-weeks. The primary outcome of neurocognitive performance at 6-weeks compared with baseline was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life as measured by the Quality of Life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST) and Organ Transplant Symptom and Wellbeing Instrument (OTSWI). Results: 32 patients were randomized to IR tacrolimus and 31 to LCP tacrolimus. In the IR tacrolimus arm, the MOCA score increased by 1.2 points (SD 2.1) and the DSST score increased by 1.0 points (SD 7.8). In the LCP tacrolimus arm, the MOCA score increased by 0.2 points (SD 2.9) and the DSST score increased by 1.3 points (SD 7.5). No statistically significant difference was detected between arms in MOCA, DSST, QUEST or OTSWI scores. There was a trend toward improvement in tremor severity in the LCP tacrolimus arm. Conclusions: No improvement was found in MoCA or DSST performance in patients switched to LCP tacrolimus as compared to IR tacrolimus after 6 weeks of exposure in the early post-transplant period.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451959625000083Kidney transplantOlderTacrolimusNeurocognitionNeurotoxicity
spellingShingle Hadia Lala Gul
Macey Sockolov
Katherine Howes
Amanpreet Kaur
Michelle Occhipinti
Heejung Bang
Muna Alnimri
Yihung Huang
Joy Dray
Ling-Xin Chen
Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial
Transplantation Reports
Kidney transplant
Older
Tacrolimus
Neurocognition
Neurotoxicity
title Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial
title_full Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial
title_fullStr Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial
title_full_unstemmed Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial
title_short Effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial
title_sort effect of tacrolimus formulation on neurocognition in older kidney transplant recipients a randomized controlled trial
topic Kidney transplant
Older
Tacrolimus
Neurocognition
Neurotoxicity
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451959625000083
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