闪烁速率(BR)被认为是人类多巴胺能活性的标志。轻度认知障碍(MCI)患者的BR升高,但尚无研究调查BR是否随着认知衰退从MCI到阿尔茨海默病(AD)的进展而改变,以及BR异常是否存在于主观认知衰退(SCD)的受试者中。
我们研究的目的是评估AD患者的BR,MCI和SCD,并将BR与认知衰退的人口统计学和临床特征相关联。
我们招募了22名SCD患者,23例患有MCI,18例患有AD和一组20例年龄匹配的健康对照(HCs)。认知功能通过测试整体认知状态和额叶,注意,记忆,口头,和视觉空间功能。通过计算每分钟的闪烁次数来测量BR。
MCI受试者的BR增加(p<0.001),而AD受试者的BR低于HC(p<0.05)。相反,SCD受试者的BR与HC相似。SCD中神经心理学评分与BR之间没有显着相关性,MCI和AD受试者。
MCI中BR的增加可能反映了AD之前发生的早期代偿机制,而AD中BR的降低表明多巴胺能系统参与了这种情况。
Blink rate (BR) is considered a marker of dopaminergic activity in humans. BR is increased in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), but no study has yet investigated whether BR changes with the progression of cognitive decline from MCI to Alzheimer\'s disease (AD) and whether BR abnormalities are present in subjects with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD).
The aim of our study was to assess BR in patients with AD, MCI, and SCD and to correlate BR with demographic and clinical features of cognitive decline.
We enrolled 22 subjects with SCD, 23 with MCI, and 18 with AD and a group of 20 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Cognitive function was assessed by testing global cognitive status and frontal, attentional, memory, verbal, and visuospatial functions. BR was measured by counting the number of blinks per minute.
MCI subjects had an increased BR (p <0.001), whereas AD subjects had a lower BR than HCs (p <0.05). Conversely, SCD subjects had a BR similar to HCs. No significant correlations emerged between neuropsychological scores and BR in SCD, MCI, and AD subjects.
Increased BR in MCI likely reflects early compensatory mechanisms occurring before AD, whereas decreased BR in AD suggests dopaminergic system involvement in this condition.