title: The Association of Cytokine Levels With Cognitive Function in Children With Sickle Cell Disease and Normal MRI Studies of the Brain.
abstract: Children with sickle cell disease, including those without evidence for cerebral infarcts, are at increased risk for cognitive deficits that can contribute to difficulties in academic and social functioning. Chronic inflammatory processes are endemic to sickle cell disease and are apparent in common comorbidities including asthma. Cytokines mediating inflammatory processes can influence cognition. The authors examined the relationship between plasma levels of cytokines commonly associated with asthma and cognitive functioning using standardized neuropsychological measures in 25 children with sickle cell disease with normal magnetic resonance imaging studies of the brain. Children with sickle cell disease performed significantly below the normative mean on tests of cognitive function. Pearson correlations indicated significant negative relations between cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, and IL-13) and standardized tests of executive function (r = -.54 to -.74). Preliminary evidence suggests an association between cytokine levels and executive function in children with sickle cell disease, indicating a potential role for inflammatory processes in cognitive outcomes in these children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA andreotc@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: Charissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andreotti
authors.affiliation: Program in Occupational Therapy and Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Allison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Macy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Compas
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: DeBaun
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: asthma; cytokines; executive function; inflammation; sickle cell disease