Inflammasjonsmarkørers betydning ved mild kognitiv svikt
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The possibility of preventing Alzheimer s disease (AD) and dementia is of great individual and sosio-economic interest. Increasing prevalence of dementia raises the demand for preventive measures and knowledge of pathomechanisms leading to this progressive disease. Although β- amyloid and tau pathology are considered the primary substrates of AD, research indicates that other mechanisms are involved. There are strong indications of inflammation being a factor of importance. Activated microglia are found in association with these plaques, and previously, elevated serum levels of inflammatory markers in AD patients have been demonstrated. Previous studies have shown that increased levels of s-homocysteine are associated with atrophy and lowering the levels by supplementing vitamin B seems to slow shrinkage of the specific brain regions attacked by AD. This raises the question whether there is a connection between inflammation and vitamin B and if these hypothesis can be reproduced. This study assesses both the association between hippocampal atrophy and s-B12, and the relation between s-CRP and brain metabolism, in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk (MCI - according to Petersen criteria). AD and cerebrovascular disease was assessed by recruiting healthy controls and patients with MCI. The hippocampus was segmented and biochemical markers obtained within three months after segmentation. A multiple regression analysis was performed showing significantly lower volumes of the hippocampusformation, indicating that B12 has no protective effect on the hippocampal formation. A fluordeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography was performed as a marker of metabolism in the cortex and merged with serum CRP within the normal range. We found a significant association between increased levels of CRP and reduced metabolism in the cortex indicating a state of inflammation being present in MCI patients.
Author: Siri Kristin Engebretsen
Language: Norwegian
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2323365616