Investigation of cognitive functions in patients with rosacea: a case–control study

Abstract

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease and the most prevalent cause of facial redness in adults. It is also associated with various systemic conditions. This study aimed to evaluate cognitive function in patients with rosacea and compare it to healthy controls. A total of 119 individuals, comprising 58 patients with rosacea and 61 controls, were enrolled between April 2023 and September 2024. The Trail Making Test (TMT) was administered to all the participants to assess their cognitive function. In rosacea patients, TMT Part A was 37.9 ± 4.38, and TMT Part B was 73.4 ± 13.28. In the control group, TMT Part A was 38.5 ± 4.86, and TMT Part B was 72.0 ± 9.34 (p = 0.57, p = 0.47, respectively). Based on rosacea severity, the patients were categorized as mild to moderate (n = 35) and severe to very severe (n = 23). There was no significant difference between these groups in TMT Part A and TMT Part B (p = 0.97, p = 0.24, respectively). In addition, according to the rosacea subtype, there was no difference between the groups in TMT Part A, TMT Part B, and years of education (p = 0.58, p = 0.89, and p = 0.20, respectively). Since rosacea may be associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease, TMT can be used to investigate cognitive functions.