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Lower serum uric acid is associated with mild cognitive impairment in early Parkinson’s disease: a 4-year follow-up study

Journal of Neural Transmission volume 123, pages 1399–1402 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Cognitive deficits are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and many patients eventually develop dementia; however, its occurrence is unpredictable. Serum uric acid (UA) has been proposed as a biomarker of PD, both in the preclinical and clinical phase of the disease. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate relationships between baseline serum UA levels and occurrence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at 4-year follow-up in a cohort of early PD patients. Early PD patients, not presenting concomitant diseases, cognitive impairment or treatment possibly interfering with UA levels, underwent neuropsychological testing at baseline and 4-year follow-up. UA levels were determined in serum at baseline. MCI was found in 23 out of 42 PD patients completing 4-year follow-up. Patients presenting MCI had significantly higher age at onset and lower Frontal Assessment Battery scores at baseline as compared with patients cognitively intact. Logistic regression analysis showed that both serum UA levels (OR = 0.54, p = 0.044) and age (OR = 1.16, p = 0.009) contribute to the occurrence of MCI at 4-year follow-up. Our pilot study suggests that lower levels of serum UA in the early disease stages are associated to the later occurrence of MCI. These results need to be confirmed by further studies on larger samples.

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Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

    Maria Teresa Pellecchia, Marina Picillo, Annamaria Vallelunga & Paolo Barone

  2. AOU San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona, Salerno, Italy

    Riccardo Savastano & Pietro Siano

  3. Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy

    Marcello Moccia

  4. Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Roberto Erro

  5. IDC Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy

    Marianna Amboni, Carmine Vitale & Gabriella Santangelo

  6. University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy

    Carmine Vitale

  7. Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy

    Gabriella Santangelo

Authors
  1. Maria Teresa Pellecchia
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  2. Riccardo Savastano
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  3. Marcello Moccia
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  4. Marina Picillo
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  5. Pietro Siano
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  6. Roberto Erro
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  7. Annamaria Vallelunga
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  8. Marianna Amboni
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  9. Carmine Vitale
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  10. Gabriella Santangelo
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  11. Paolo Barone
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Teresa Pellecchia.

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Funding

This work was supported by the University of Salerno (FARB 2013–2014).

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Pellecchia, M.T., Savastano, R., Moccia, M. et al. Lower serum uric acid is associated with mild cognitive impairment in early Parkinson’s disease: a 4-year follow-up study. J Neural Transm 123, 1399–1402 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1622-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1622-6

Keywords

  • Uric acid
  • Mild cognitive impairment
  • Early Parkinson’s disease
  • Biomarker