Relationship between dialysis quality and brain compliance in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD): a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The high number of patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis makes it necessary to conduct studies aimed at improving their quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate brain compliance, using the Brain4care method for intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, among patients with ESRD before and at the end of the hemodialysis session, and to correlate ICP with the dialysis quality index (Kt/V). DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study conducted at a renal replacement therapy center in Brazil. METHODS: Sixty volunteers who were undergoing hemodialysis three times a week were included in this study. Brain compliance was assessed before and after hemodialysis using the noninvasive Brain4care method and intracranial pressure wave morphology was analyzed. RESULTS: Among these 60 ESRD volunteers, 17 (28%) presented altered brain compliance before hemodialysis. After hemodialysis, 12 (20%) exhibited normalization of brain compliance. Moreover, 10 (83%) of the 12 patients whose post-dialysis brain compliance became normalized were seen to present good-quality dialysis, as confirmed by Kt/V > 1.2. CONCLUSIONS: It can be suggested that changes to cerebral compliance in individuals with ESRD occur frequently and that a good-quality hemodialysis session (Kt/V > 1.2) may be effective for normalizing the patient’s cerebral compliance.