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Title: Relationship of serum interleukin-6 and cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia, a case–control study
Author: Mohamed Yousry Abdel Mohsen, Noha Sabry, Fadia Zyada, Mai Abdel Sami and Heba N. Baz
Abstract:
Background Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is assumed to play a role in the emergence of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Aim The aim of this work was to assess cognitive functions in the domains of working memory, executive functions, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention in patients with schizophrenia and to determine its relationship to serum levels of IL-6. Methods Forty patients with schizophrenia recruited from the Kasr Al-Ainy psychiatric outpatient clinic and forty healthy controls matched in age, sex, and educational level to the patients’ group were assessed and compared as regards the level of serum IL-6. Cognitive functions were assessed using letter cancellation test, digit symbol coding test, digit span, visual memory span, and Wisconsin card sorting test. Results The mean level of serum IL-6 of the patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than that of the control group. Patients showed poorer performance in all cognitive tests. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the level of serum IL-6 and visual memory span backward score. Conclusion Patients with schizophrenia have higher levels of serum IL-6. They show poorer cognitive performance in the domains of sustained attention, verbal and visual working memory, processing speed and executive functions, and visual memory deficits. There is a correlation between serum IL-6 and visual memory deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Keywords: cognitive functions, schizophrenia, serum interleukin-6
Journal: Middle East Curr Psychiatry 24:181–186
Text:
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