Correlation between serum activity of liver enzymes and cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia

Abstract

Background: Recent research attempts to bring metabolic changes that evolve with aging into the context of neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. Peripheral levels of liver enzymes may therefore play a central role in explaining the metabolic dysfunctions in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD).

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between serum activity of creatine kinase and liver enzymes (ALT, AST, LDH, GGT, and ALP) and cognitive impairment in AD and VD. Methods: The subjects were classified as AD patients (n=30), VD patients (n=30) and controls (n=30). Further on, the cognitive functions of all subjects were assessed using the Montreal - Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test.

Results: The obtained results showed significantly lower ALT activity in AD and VD patients compared to controls. The MoCA scores were found to be in positive correlation with serum CK and GGT activity in AD patients. Further research is required to elucidate causal pathways underlying the association between serum liver parameters and the pathophysiology of dementia.