PS-P06-7: ASSOCIATION OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION WITH OXYTOCIN AS A SOCIAL HORMONE IN A COMMUNITY DWELLING JAPANESE WOMEN; UKU STUDY

Abstract

Cognitive impairment leads to loss independence in daily activities. Maintain of cognitive function keeps daily high living activity. Oxytocin is an essential hormone for mammalian labor and lactation. The relationship between oxytocin and social cognition is supported by impairment of social recognition, which is associated with learning and memory integrity, in animal study. We investigated whether oxytocin levels are associated with cognitive function. Subjects were 219 residents (90 men and 129 women) who participated in a health check-up examination in Uku Town in Sasebo city in 2016. Oxytocin concentrations were measured in 129 women and using radioimmunoassay. Cognitive function was assessed by Mimi-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cognitive dysfunction was defined as smaller than 26 MMSE scores. Mean plasma oxytocin levels were 7.3(3.0–69.5) μU/ml. Mean MMSE scores were 28.2 ± 2.3 points. The subjects with normal cognition were 110, and those with cognitive dysfunction were 17. Mean oxytocin levels in 17 subjects with cognitive dysfunction were much higher than in 110 subjects with normal cognitive function (8.0 μU/ml) (p = 0.67). In the linear regression analysis, MMSE was related to age (p = 0.001; inversely) whereas; MMSE was not related to oxytocin (p = 0.223). In the multiple regression analysis after adjustment for age, MMSE was not associated with oxytocin (p = 0.357). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that cognitive dysfunction was not associated with oxytocin levels in women. A prospective study is needed to examine the causal relationship between cognitive dysfunction and oxytocin including men.