Journal of Psychiatry

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia: A role for neuroinflammation?

Euro Global Summit and Medicare Expo on Psychiatry

July 20-22, 2015 Barcelona, Spain

Simon Holmgren1, Erik Hjorth1, Marianne Schultzberg1, Marie Larksater2, Dan Frenkeld, Ann Christine Tysen-Backstrom2, Dag Aarsland1,4 and Yvonne Freund Levi1,2

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

Dementia is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSD) such as agitation, apathy and sleeping problems. There is some evidence of activation of inflammatory pathways in the brain in dementia, but little research has been performed regarding the role of neuroinflammation in NPSD, which might represent a potential novel target for treatment. The aim was to examine possible association between NPSD and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the cytokines IL-6, TNF-?, IL-10, and cytokine receptor sIL-1RII. Ninety-four patients (mean age 79� 8; 67% female) with a score on the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI) ?10 points, were included. The cytokine levels in CSF samples were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlations were statistically examined using Spearman?s rank correlation coefficient (r), and simple- and multiple-linear regression. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 showed reverse correlations with total NPI score (NPI-total=?0.001, t(90)= 8.50, p=0.004) and NPI sub-items agitation (agitation=?0.007, t(90)=7.02, p=0.009) and night-time behaviour (night time behaviour=?0.006, t(90)=6.34, p =0.01). There was a trend towards correlation between IL-10 and depression (depression=?0.004, t(90)=2.96, p=0.09). Also, the soluble cytokine receptor sIL-1RII showed a trend towards correlation with apathy (apathy=0.82, t(82)=3.62, p=0.06). The levels of IL-6 showed no significant correlations with NPSD. In Alzheimer?s disease (AD) subjects (n=33), IL-6 showed reverse correlation with anxiety (r=?0.35, p=0.049). In mixed AD subjects (n=26), IL-10 showed reverse correlations with the total NPI score (r=?0.46, p=0.02) and depression (r=?0.45, p=0.02).