title: Cognitive decline correlates with low plasma concentrations of copper in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating brain disorder clinically characterised by progressive loss of characteristic cognitive abilities. Increasing evidence suggests a disturbed copper (Cu) homeostasis to be associated with the pathological processes. In the present study we analysed the plasma Cu levels and cognitive abilities using the Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) in 32 patients with mild to moderate AD. Statistical analysis revealed a negative correlation between plasma Cu levels and cognitive decline (r=-0.49; P<0.01). Patients with low plasma Cu (mean 82 +/- SD 9) had significant higher ADAS-cog values (mean 23 +/- SD 7), than patients with medium plasma Cu (mean 110 +/- SD 7), who exhibited lower ADAS-cog scores (mean 16 +/- SD 4; ANOVA, P<0.0001). Despite the fact that all patients had plasma Cu levels within the physiological range between 65 microg and 165 microg/dL, 87.5% of the patients revealed a significant negative correlation between plasma Cu and ADAS-cog. This finding supports the hypothesis of a mild Cu deficiency in most AD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Saarland University, Building 90, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank-Gerald
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Pajonk
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: Tillmann
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Supprian
authors.forename: Pegah
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hamzei
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schweickhardt
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Obeid
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falkai
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Multhaup
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bayer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin