title: Early cognitive impairment along with decreased stress-induced BDNF in male and female patients with newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate neuroendocrine activation during stress in patients with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis before starting the immunomodulatory therapy (EDSS score≤2.0). We verified the hypothesis that certain cognitive and affective dysfunction is present already at this early stage of the disease. The sample consisted of 38 subjects, which involved patients who were recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis and age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Stroop test served as mental stress model enabling measurement of cognitive performance. Present results showed increased state anxiety, depression scores and poorer performance in the Stroop test in the group of patients compared to healthy subjects. The cognitive dysfunction was particularly evident in male patients with simultaneously decreased concentrations of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in plasma. The patients at this stage of the disease have not yet developed the hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. They showed normal levels of plasma copeptin and reduced aldosterone response to mental stress test in women only. Concentrations of plasma copeptin were higher in men compared to women. Very early stages of multiple sclerosis are accompanied by disturbances in psychological well-being, mild cognitive dysfunction and decreased plasma concentrations of BDNF, particularly in male patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prokopova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hlavacova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlcek
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Penesova
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grunnerova
authors.affiliation: University Hospital and Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garafova
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turcani
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Branislav
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kollar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia. Electronic address: daniela.jezova@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jezova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human
keywords: BDNF; Cognitive deficit; Mental stress; Multiple sclerosis; Newly-diagnosed patients