Abstract
Objectives: There are relatively few studies on mechanisms of cognitive deficits in late-life schizophrenia (LLS). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as an important neuroplastic molecule, has been reported to be involved in neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine whether peripheral BDNF levels were associated with cognitive deficits in LLS, which has not been explored yet.Methods: Forty-eight LLS patients and 45 age-matched elderly controls were recruited. We measured all participants on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) for cognition and serum BDNF levels. Psychopathological symptoms in patients were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).Results: The levels of BDNF in LLS patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (8.80 ± 2.30 vs. 12.63 ± 5.08 ng/ml, p < 0.001). The cognitive performance of LLS patients was worse than that of the controls on RBANS total score and scores of immediate memory, attention, language, and delayed memory (all p ≤ 0.005). BDNF was positively associated with attention in LLS patients (r = 0.338, p = 0.019).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that older patients with schizophrenia exhibit lower BDNF levels and more cognitive deficits than older controls, supporting the accelerated aging hypothesis of schizophrenia. Moreover, decreased BDNF is related to attention deficits, indicating that BDNF might be a candidate biomarker of cognitive impairments in LLS patients.
Highlights
As the aging of the population has become a global trend, the number of older people with mental illness has increased significantly
We examined serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and cognitive function in late-life schizophrenia (LLS) patients to determine [1] whether the cognitive performance of LLS patients would be worse than that of healthy elderly; [2] whether the levels of BDNF in LLS patients would be lower than that of healthy elderly; and [3] whether there would be a correlation between BDNF and neurocognitive function of LLS patients
Serum BDNF levels were significantly lower in LLS patients than that in healthy elderly (8.80 ± 2.30 vs. 12.63 ± 5.08 ng/ml, F = 22.30, df = 1, p < 0.001)
Summary
As the aging of the population has become a global trend, the number of older people with mental illness has increased significantly. Late-life schizophrenia (LLS) accounts for the largest proportion of care expenditures for elderly patients with mental illness or other non-psychiatric disorders (including dementia), making it a major public health problem [1, 2]. Cognitive deficits have been recognized as a core feature of schizophrenia for the past few decades, and research has surged in the last decade. Patients with schizophrenia suffer various degrees of cognitive impairment in a range of domains, such as processing speed, verbal memory, working memory, attention, executive functions, and visual memory [3, 4]. Throughout the lifespan, cognition strongly predicts the functional capacity of schizophrenia independent of age [8]. The cognitive decline in LLS patients has been well-documented, its underlying etiology and pathogenesis are still inconclusive
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