Konukoglu_2012_Acta.Neurol.Belg_112_255

The aim of this study is to measure serum levels of neurotropic factor NF in patients with dementia Brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF nerve growth factor NGF and neurotrophin-3 NT-3 were determined in Alzheimer's dementia patients without medication AD n 22 Alzheimer's dementia patients receiving cholinesterase inhibitor CEI treatment AD CEI n 32 and vascular dementia patients receiving CEI treatment VaD CEI n 27 and the age-matched control group n 20 NGF levels were detected to be significantly higher in the control group than in AD group P 0.001 BDNF and NT-3 levels in AD group were not significantly different from control group's levels NGF levels in AD CEI group were significantly higher than in AD group P 0.05 There was also no significant difference in serum neurotrophic factor levels between AD CEI and VaD CEI group A positive correlation between BDNF and Mini Mental State Examination MMSE scores r 0.422 P 0.01 in AD group and a negative correlation between BDNF and MMSE scores in the AD CEI group r 0.357 P 0.005 were obtained In conclusion our results suggest that while serum NGF levels are associated with the presence of dementia serum BDNF levels may be associated with the severity of Alzheimer's dementia However future studies are required to determine the importance of NFs.