Putative neuroprotective role of visfatin against cognitive dysfunction in obese patients

Objectives: Visfatin (adipokine) is thought to have neuroprotective properties. The aims of to determine the type and extent of prefrontal cortical dysfunction and to evaluate the potential neuroprotective role of visfatin. Methods: Sixty-one obese patients were included. A diagnosis of primary obesity was made on the basis of a BMI > 30. Visfatin serum levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was used to assess prefrontal cortex-mediated cognitive function. Results: Visfatin levels were not correlated with age or BMI. However, patients with higher visfatin levels tended to show an overall improvement in WCST scores. Nonetheless, a significant positive correlation (P = 0.032) was found only between high serum visfatin levels and the number of correctly completed categories in the WCST. Discussion: The results described herein indicate a possible neuroprotective effect of visfatin against obesity-related cognition dysfunction, particularly in regard to the categorizing capacity associated with executive function

The polymorphisms in serotonin-related genes (5-HT2A and SERT) and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in obese patients.

As overweight and obesity are a growing problem in industrialized societies, they become a main focus of many studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between the occurrence of polymorphisms in serotonin-related genes and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in obese patients. Two polymorphisms were tested: a 44-bp insertion/deletion in the serotonin transporter (SERT) gene and a single-nucleotide variation (1438G/A) in the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2A) gene. The study involved 180 patients (41 men; 139 women) previously diagnosed as obese. All patients were subjected to clinical, biochemical, and neuropsychological evaluation and genotyping. Amplification of the gene fragments was obtained by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Products of the genotyping were separated via electrophoresis. The intensity of depressive symptoms was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D). Clinically relevant depressive symptoms were diagnosed in 39% of subjects. The lowest intensities of depressive symptoms were ascertained in the group with the least advanced obesity, but this trend was statistically insignificant. Small differences were observed in obesity indicators among three groups of patients with various genotypes of the SERT gene, but these differences were also statistically insignificant. Furthermore, in the context of the intensity of depressive symptoms, no significant associations were observed in these two groups. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were observed among specific obesity parameters and intensity of depressive symptoms as a function of the 5-HT2A gene polymorphism. To conclude, depressive symptoms were prevalent in obese participants: 39% of subjects experienced symptoms of clinical relevance. However, no significant associations were observed between 5-HT2A and SERT gene polymorphisms and depressive symptoms in this study group

Związek parametrów długotrwałej pamięci utajonej z progresją od napadowego do utrwalonego migotania przedsionków w pięcioletniej obserwacji. Badania wstępne

Background and aim: As cognitive function is the most vulnerable human feature, its impairment may precede the occurrence of symptoms of cardiovascular system disorders, e.g. atrial fibrillation (AF). In this way, cognitive impairment may not only be a complication of AF, but also a marker of its progression. This study aims to test this hypothesis. Methods: Of 35 patients with AF, 23 (66%) had paroxysmal and 12 (34%) had permanent arrhythmia at the start of the study. At both the start of the study and after 5.86 ± 3.7–7.05 years of follow-up, the following neuropsychological tests were performed using the Beck Depression Inventory, Parts A and B of the Trail Making Test, eight trials from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), and the Stroop test. Results: Patients who maintained paroxysmal AF for the whole study observation period (n = 10) had a significantly greater score in the sixth (A6) and seventh (A7) RAVLT trials (pertaining to parameters of long-term latent memory) at the start of the study. An association between lower RAVLT A6 and A7 trial scores and the risk of paroxysmal arrhythmia progression to permanent AF was confirmed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Conclusions: A better long-term latent memory RAVLT score was associated with a favourable prognosis of sinus rhythm maintenance. Cognitive impairment should be investigated in patients with AF for the purpose of evaluating the patient’s prognosis, subclinical injury to the cardiovascular system, and the ability to comply with treatment.Wstęp i cel: Ponieważ funkcjonowanie poznawcze jest jedną z najbardziej wrażliwych cech ludzkich, to jego zaburzenia mogą poprzedzać wystąpienie objawów chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego, np. migotania przedsionków (AF). W ten sposób upośledzenie funkcji poznawczych może być nie tylko powikłaniem AF, lecz także markerem jego progresji. Celem badania było sprawdzenie tej hipotezy. Metody: Spośród 35 pacjentów z AF u 23 (66%) chorych na początku badania stwierdzono napadowe AF, a u 12 (34%) osób utrwaloną arytmię. Zarówno na początku badania, jak i po 5,86 ± 3,7–7,05 latach obserwacji dokonano oceny neuropsychologicznej z wykorzystaniem Skali Depresji Becka, części A i B testu łączenia punktów (TMT), ośmiu prób z testu słuchowo-werbalnego uczenia się Reya (RAVLT) oraz testu Stroopa. Wyniki: Pacjenci, u których utrzymało się napadowe AF w okresie całego badania (n = 10), charakteryzowali się istotnie większym wynikiem w szóstej (A6) i siódmej (A7) próbie RAVLT (odnoszących się do parametrów długoterminowej pamięci utajonej) na początku badania. Związek między niższymi wynikami prób RAVLT A6 i A7 a ryzykiem progresji arytmii z napadowego do utrwalonego AF został potwierdzony przy użyciu modelu proporcjonalnego hazardu Coxa i analizy przeżycia Kaplana-Meiera. Wnioski: Lepsze wyniki długoterminowej pamięci utajonej wiązały się z korzystnym rokowaniem utrzymania rytmu zatokowego. Zaburzenia poznawcze powinny być badane u pacjentów z AF w celu oceny rokowania chorego, subklinicznej dysfunkcji układu sercowo-naczyniowego, a także zdolności do przestrzegania zaleceń terapeutycznych

The Association Between Affective Temperament Traits and Dopamine Genes in Obese Population

Studies indicate the heritable nature of affective temperament, which shows personality traits predisposing to the development of mental disorders. Dopaminergic gene polymorphisms such as DRD4, COMTVal158Met, and DAT1 have been linked to affective disorders in obesity. Due to possible correlation between the aforementioned polymorphisms and the affective temperament, the aim of our research was to investigate this connection in an obese population. The study enrolled 245 obese patients (178 females; 67 males). The affective temperament was assessed using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Genetic polymorphisms of DAT1, COMTVal158Met and DRD4 were collected from peripheral blood sample and determined using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Only in COMT polymorphisms, the cyclothymic and irritable dimensions were significantly associated with Met/Val carriers (p = 0.04; p = 0.01). Another interesting finding was the correlation between the affective temperament and age in men and women. We assume that dopamine transmission in heterozygotes of COMT may determine the role of the affective temperament in obese persons. Dopaminergic transmission modulated by COMT may be responsible for a greater temperament expression in obese individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing the role of affective temperament in the obese population, but more research is needed in this regard

Cognitive functions in patieCognitive functions in patients after cataract phacoemulsification and implantation of multifocal and monofocal intraocular lnts after cataract phacoemulsification and implantation of multifocal and monofocal intraocular lenses

Introduction: The study has to determine whether implantation of diffractive multifocal lenses during cataract phacoemulsification causes distortion of the cognitive aspects of processing perceptual information. Material and methods: 25 patients who underwent cataract phacoemulsification with the implantation of diffractive multifocal lens Acrysof Restor SN6AD1 in both eyes (multifocal group) and 26 patients with the implantation of monofocal intraocular lens Acrysof IQ SN60WF in both eyes (monofocal group) were enrolled. All patients underwent ophthalmic examination and cognitive function– Trial Making Test (Part A and Part B) and Stroop Test (Stroop Test 1 and Stroop Test 2) tests at least 6 months after cataract surgery of the other eye. Results: Mean patient age and visual acuity with correction for near and far vision did not differ between groups. Average Trail Making scores were 32.80 ± 11.86 s and 84.08 ± 33.26 s for Parts A and B, respectively, in the multifocal group, while scores in the monofocal group were 36.61 ± 13.63 s and 93.34 ± 40.49 s in Parts A and B. Stroop Test scores were 79.09 ± 17.69 s and 133.64 ± 17.60 s for Stroop Test 1 and Stroop Test 2, respectively, in the multifocal group; in the monofocal group, scores were 82.04 ± 17.51 s and 152.88 ± 65.72 s, respectively. The groups did not differ for either test. Conclusions: Differences between cognitive function tests results between patients with multifocal and monofocal intraocular lenses were not statistically significant suggesting the lack of influence of the type of lens on visual perception at least in good light conditions. Further clinical trials using more sophisticate tests in different light conditions are needed