Serum levels of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor and multiple neurotransmitters: In relation to cognitive performance in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

ObjectivesMild cognitive impairment is a common non‐motor feature of Parkinson's disease, termed PD‐MCI. But there is a scarcity of data on the role of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurotransmitters in pathogenesis of PD‐MCI. The aim of this project was to detect the serum levels of GDNF and multiple neurotranmitters and explore their relationships with cognitive performance in PD‐MCI patients.MethodsNeuropsychological testing was administered to PD patients and healthy controls to investigate different domains of cognitive function. Serum levels of GDNF and four cognition‐related neurotransmitters including Dopamine metabolites Homovanillic acid (HVA), acetylcholine (Ach), γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis respectively.ResultsThe more serious cognitive impairment of PD, the lower levels of GDNF, HVA and 5‐HT. In PD‐MCI patients, the levels of GDNF, HVA, Ach, 5‐HT, and GABA had a significant positive correlation with Digit span backward test (DSB‐T) scores and negative correlation with the scores of Trail Making Test A (TMT‐A) and Trail Making Test B (TMT‐B) respectively. Effect size analysis showed that GDNF and GDNF*Ach have a significant effect on DSB‐T, TMT‐A and TMT‐B respectively; GDNF*HVA, GDNF*5‐HT and GDNF*GABA play important part in Auditory Verbal Learning Test separately.ConclusionsSerum GDNF may be involved in the impairment of attention, memory and executive function of PD‐MCI patients, by acting alone or in conjunction with neurotransmitters (HVA, 5‐HT, GABA, and Ach).

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