ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Objective: This study investigates the relationship between serum nitric oxide, asymmetrical dimethylarginine and symmetrical dimethylarginine levels and Total Antioxidant Capacity, and cognitive function in patients with bipolar disorder. Method: The study included 42 bipolar patients, diagnosed and assessed according to the DSM-V criteria, and 30 healthy controls. The Sociodemographic Questionnaire was used for the collection of data, and a bivariate Pearson correlation analysis was carried out. Results: The patient scores from a Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Auditory Consonant Trigram (ACT), Digit Span Test (DST), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making-B (TMT-B) and Stroop Tests (ST) were found to be impaired in patients with BD when compared to the healthy controls. The SDMA level of the patient group was significantly higher in the control group, while the ADMA level was lower. The SDMA value was found to be positively correlated with ST-1,2,5 duration; and the NO value was positively correlated with ST-3 duration. Conclusions: The presence of neurobiological markers may serve to predict the severity of neurocognitive deficits, and can provide information about the progress of the disease.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated changes in urotensin-II (U-II) and endocan levels which can be used as an early biological marker of endothelial injury in the episode and remission phases of bipolar affective disorder (BAD). METHODS: We compared endocan and U-II levels, which has been shown to be closely associated with neurotransmitter systems in addition to continuity of endothelial structure and inflammatory response, in patients with BAD in remission for at least one year (n=42) and in patients still in manic or depressive episodes (n=16) with healthy controls (n=30). RESULTS: Both endocan and U-II levels were significantly higher in the bipolar patients than in the controls. Endocan and U-II levels were also significantly correlated with one another (p=0.000, r=0.833). Both endocan (p=0.000) and U-II levels (p=0.000) were significantly higher in the bipolar attack group compared to the subjects in remission, and in the remission group compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: In this study we determined significantly higher endocan and U-II levels in BAD compared to the controls, while serum endocan and U-II levels of patients undergoing attacks were also significantly higher than those of the controls and also those of patients in remission.