Abstract
BackgroundInflammation is suggested to play a role in the development of non-motor Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms. We aimed to investigate the association between serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels and cognition in PD patients. Thirty patients with PD and 30 healthy controls were included. Evaluation and staging of PD were done using Unified PD Rating Scale. Cognitive assessment was done using Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-III) and trail making B tests. Measurement of serum levels of TNF-α was done.ResultsPatients had significantly worser cognitive scores than controls except for language subclass of ACE score. Mean serum TNF-α level was significantly greater in PD patients as compared to controls. TNF-α serum level was significantly negatively correlated with ACE visuospatial function. Sensitivity and specificity of TNF-α to detect cognitive dysfunction in PD using ACE III and trail making B tests were (73.1, 75%), (57.1, 56.2%), respectively, whereas sensitivity and specificity of TNF-α to detect severity of PD using H&Y staging in PD were 50%.ConclusionPatients with PD frequently have cognitive impairment. Elevated serum TNF-α levels in patients with PD, and association of this cytokine to visuospatial impairment, implicate this pro-inflammatory cytokine in the neurobiology of cognitive impairment in PD.
Highlights
Inflammation is suggested to play a role in the development of non-motor Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms
PD is often accompanied by early non-motor symptoms (NMS), which include autonomic dysfunction, psychiatric disturbances, sleep disorders, olfactory dysfunction, Fig. 4 Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve for Tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNF-α) to detect cognitive impairment in patients with PD using trail making B
They detected that most PD patients had executive dysfunction, 50% of patients displayed visuospatial deficits, and 45% had memory deficits compared to controls
Summary
Inflammation is suggested to play a role in the development of non-motor Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms. We aimed to investigate the association between serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels and cognition in PD patients. Thirty patients with PD and 30 healthy controls were included. Measurement of serum levels of TNF-α was done. After Alzheimer disease, PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in elderly. PD is suggested to involve interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Most cases start after the age of 50 years. The prevalence increasing to 1.5–2.5% of people above the age of 70 years [1]. PD is a heterogeneous disease with a wide range of symptoms. One classification based solely on clinical features supports two subtypes: tremor dominant PD and non-tremor dominant PD. Tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease is characterized by the absence of other motor
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