Antiinfective agents affecting cognition: a review.

The adverse effects of antimicrobial, antiviral and anthelmintic agents on cognitive function have attracted substantial research interest in the last three decades. There are sporadic individual reports of negative effects on cognition by penicillin, amoxycillin, cloxacillin, cephalothin, cephazolin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, tobramycin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, lomefloxacin, pefloxacin, isoniazid, amphotericin B, acyclovir, chloroquine, clioquinol, metronidazole, sulfasalazine among other antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial and antiprotozoal agents reported to affect consciousness in particular are amoxycillin, cloxacillin, ticarcillin, cephalothin, cephazolin, ceftazidime, cefuroxime, tobramycin, lomefloxacin, pefloxacin, amphotericin B, acyclovir, chloroquine, clioquinol, and metronidazole. The relationship between some other antimicrobial, antiviral and anthelmintic agents and cognition is yet to be clearly established due to the existence of controversial reports. Few antimicrobial, antiviral or anthelmintic agents have been found to be devoid of any effect on memory. A few others may enhance cognitive performance. This review focuses on this issue, summarizing the published clinical and experimental studies relevant to this area of research and discussing its clinical implications. Suggested mechanisms responsible for the adverse effects of different antimicrobial, antiviral, and anthelmintic agents on cognitive function are reported. Future recommendations point to immense research opportunities to investigate the cognitive profile of newly discovered antimicrobial agents.