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Plasma total antioxidant status and cognitive impairments in first-episode drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia

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Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggest that excessive reactive oxygen species-induced oxidative damage may underlie neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in several disorders including schizophrenia. In this study we examined the association of oxidative stress with cognitive deficits in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) patients with schizophrenia. We recruited 54 FEDN patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and examined the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Consensus cognitive Battery (MCCB) and plasma total antioxidant status (TAS). Psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The results showed that plasma TAS levels were significantly lower in the patients than those in the healthy subjects (94.7 ± 25.0 U/ml vs 156.6 ± 46.7 U/ml, p < 0.0001). The patients scored lower than healthy controls on the MCCB total score, speed of processing, attention/vigilance and managing emotion test index and STROOP test. For the patients, TAS was associated with some domains of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, such as speed of processing, attention/vigilance and emotion managing. Our results suggested that oxidative stress may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia at the early of stage and its cognitive impairment.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ATD:

Acute tryptophan depletion

BVMT:

Brief Visuospatial Memory Test

FEDN:

First-episode drug-naïve

FEP:

First-episode patients

FRAP:

Ferric reducing antioxidant potential

HVLT:

Hopkins Verbal Learning Test

LTP:

Long time potentiation

MCCB:

Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Consensus cognitive Battery and plasma

MSCEIT:

Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test

NAB:

Neuropsychological assessment battery

OS:

Oxidative stress

PANSS:

Psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SCID:

Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV

TAS:

Total antioxidant status

TPTZ:

Tripyridyl triazine

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81761128021), and by Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (7151005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, 100096, People’s Republic of China

    Ting Xie, Qiongwei Li, Zhiren Wang, Shuping Tan, Song Chen, Guigang Yang, Huimei An, Fude Yang & Yunlong Tan

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Xingguang Luo

  3. Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 4, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Li Tian

Authors
  1. Ting Xie
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  2. Qiongwei Li
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  3. Xingguang Luo
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  4. Li Tian
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  5. Zhiren Wang
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  6. Shuping Tan
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  7. Song Chen
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  8. Guigang Yang
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  9. Huimei An
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  10. Fude Yang
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  11. Yunlong Tan
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Contributions

TX collect the subjects and clinical rating, wrote the protocol, conducted the analysis and wrote the article. QL conducted the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus cognitive Battery (MCCB) and plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) data analysis. XL, LT and ZW gave the critical comment for the study design. ST, SC and GY reference search and gave the idea for study design. HA, FY, XZ, YT gave the idea for study design.

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Correspondence to Yunlong Tan.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests and consent for publication is available.

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The study was approved by the ethics committee of Beijing Huilongguan Hospital. After a complete description of the study to all participants, the written informed consent was obtained.

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Xie, T., Li, Q., Luo, X. et al. Plasma total antioxidant status and cognitive impairments in first-episode drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia. Cogn Neurodyn 13, 357–365 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11571-019-09530-3

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