<p>An increasing amount of literature has indicated that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with cognitive deficits that increase with worsening disease severity. Although abnormalities in brain structure have been widely documented, few studies to date have examined the functioning of brain areas associated with the specific cognitive domains affected by CKD (namely, attention and executive functions). Furthermore, few studies have examined functional connectivity among CKD youth who are relatively early in the course of the disease. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the resting state connectivity in 67 youth with CKD (mean age, 17 y) and 58 age-matched healthy controls. Using seed-based multiple regression, decreased connectivity was observed within the anterior cingulate portion of the default mode network. In addition, decreased connectivity within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, paracingulate gyrus, and frontal pole were correlated significantly with disease severity. These data indicate that connectivity deficits in circuits implementing attentional processes may represent an early marker for cognitive decline in CKD.</p>

<p><strong>Rationale &amp; Objective: </strong>Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children is associated with cognitive dysfunction that affects school performance and quality of life. The relationship between CKD-mineral and bone disorder and cognitive function in children is unknown.</p>

<p><strong>Study Design: </strong>Observational study.</p>

<p><strong>Participants: </strong>702 children enrolled in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) Study.</p>

<p><strong>Predictors: </strong>Plasma fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphorus, 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), and 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]D).</p>

<p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>Neurocognitive tests of intelligence, academic achievement, and executive functions.</p>

<p><strong>Analytical Approach: </strong>Linear regression models to analyze the cross-sectional associations between logFGF-23, 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)D, PTH, calcium, and phosphorus scores and the cognitive test scores of interest after adjustment for demographics, blood pressure, proteinuria, and kidney function.</p>

<p><strong>Results: </strong>At baseline, median age was 12 (95% CI, 8.3, 15.2) years and estimated glomerular filtration rate was 54 (40.5, 67.8) mL/min/1.73&nbsp;m. In fully adjusted analyses, 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)D, PTH, calcium, and phosphorus scores did not associate with cognitive test scores. In fully adjusted analyses, logFGF-23 was associated with abnormal test scores for attention regulation (&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.05); specifically, Conners' Continuous Performance Test II Errors of Omission (β&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.3&nbsp;[1.0, 3.6]), Variability (β=1.4 [0.4,&nbsp;-2.4]), and Hit Reaction Time (β&nbsp;=&nbsp;1.3&nbsp;[0.2, 2.4]). Children in the highest FGF-23 tertile group had 7% and 9% greater cognitive risk for&nbsp;Hit Reaction Time and Errors of Omission compared with those in the lowest tertile, respectively. In fully adjusted analyses, higher FGF-23 tertile was associated with increased cognitive risk (&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.05) for Errors of Omission (β&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.4&nbsp;[0.1,&nbsp;0.7]) and Hit Reaction Time (β&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.4&nbsp;[0.1, 0.7]).</p>

<p><strong>Limitations: </strong>The study does not assess the cumulative&nbsp;effects of FGF-23 excess on cognitive function over time. Within-population stratified analyses were not performed due to limited sample size.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In children with CKD, higher plasma FGF-23 level is associated with lower performance in targeted tests of executive function, specifically attention regulation, independent of glomerular filtration rate.</p>

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Depression affects 7-35% of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and in adults with CKD, the presence of depression links to poorer medical outcomes, social functioning difficulties, and neurocognitive impairments. The relationship between depression and neurocognitive function in youth with CKD is unclear. We sought to identify factors associated with depression in youth with CKD and to determine whether depression affects neurocognitive performance.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We conducted cross-sectional analyses in 71 CKD and 64 control participants aged 8 to 25&nbsp;years who completed depression inventories and neurocognitive assessments as part of the Neurocognitive Assessment and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis of Children and Young Adults with CKD Study. In the CKD group, multivariable logistic regression analysis determined associations between clinical and demographic factors and depression. In the full study cohort, multivariable linear regression analyses, including an interaction term between CKD status and depression evaluated the effect of depression on 11 neurocognitive outcome domains.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Obesity significantly associated with depression in the CKD group (OR 10.25, P = 0.01). In adjusted analyses, depressed youth with CKD scored worse than non-depressed CKD participants by 0.6-1.0 standard deviations in 5 neurocognitive domains: attention, visual memory, visual-spatial, visual working memory, and problem solving.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>CKD youth with obesity are more likely to be depressed, and those who are depressed exhibit worse neurocognitive performance. Depression may represent a therapeutic target to improve neurocognitive performance in youth with CKD.</p>