title: Decreased serum level of NGF in alcohol-dependent patients with declined executive function.
abstract: The role of neurotrophic factors has been highlighted as a cause of decline in the cognitive function of alcohol-dependent patients. It is known that nerve-growth factor (NGF), one of the neurotrophins, is related to the growth and differentiation of nerve cells, as well as to a decline in cognitive function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between decreased NGF levels and cognitive decline in alcohol-dependent patients. The serum concentration of NGF was measured in 38 patients with chronic alcohol dependence, and several neuropsychological tests were also performed for cognitive function assessment. The results indicated a significant correlation between serum NGF level and the trail-making test part B, which evaluates executive function, but did not show a significant correlation with other cognitive function tests. An increased serum level of NGF was associated with a decreased completion time in the trail-making test B, and this finding indicates that a high serum level of NGF is related to greater executive function. This finding may imply a protective role of NGF in preventing neuron damage among patients with alcohol dependence. Larger controlled studies will be necessary in the future to investigate this issue further.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hwallip
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Youngsun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Keyo Hospital, Uiwang, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Changwoo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dai-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: alcohol dependence; executive function; nerve-growth factor; trail-making test