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Role of obesity in systemic low-grade inflammation and cognitive function in patients with bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2020

Mu-Hong Chen Open the ORCID record for Mu-Hong Chen [Opens in a new window] ,
Ju-Wei Hsu ,
Kai-Lin Huang ,
Shih-Jen Tsai ,
Tung-Ping Su ,
Cheng-Ta Li ,
Wei-Chen Lin ,
Pei-Chi Tu  and
Ya-Mei Bai
Mu-Hong Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Ju-Wei Hsu*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Kai-Lin Huang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Shih-Jen Tsai
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Tung-Ping Su
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Cheng-Ta Li
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Wei-Chen Lin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Pei-Chi Tu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Philosophy of Mind and Cognition, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Ya-Mei Bai*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
*
Ju-Wei Hsu, M.D. E-mail: jwhsu@vghtpe.gov.tw
Author for correspondence: Ya-Mei Bai, M.D., Ph.D. E-mail: ymbi@mail2000.com.tw
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Abstract

Background

Studies have suggested the detrimental effects of obesity and systemic inflammation on the cognitive function of patients with bipolar or major depressive disorder. However, the complex associations between affective disorder, obesity, systemic inflammation, and cognitive dysfunction remain unclear.

Methods

Overall, 110 patients with affective disorder (59 with bipolar I disorder and 51 with major depressive disorder) who scored ≥61 on the Global Assessment of Functioning and 51 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 was defined as obesity or overweight. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines—including interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and C-reactive protein (CRP)—were measured, and cognitive function was assessed using various methods, including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and go/no-go task.

Results

Patients with bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder were more likely to be obese or overweight, had higher CRP and TNF-α levels, and had greater executive dysfunction in the WCST than the controls. TNF-α level (P < .05) but not affective disorder diagnosis or obesity/overweight was significantly associated with cognitive function deficits, although obesity/overweight and diagnosis were significantly associated with increased TNF-α level.

Conclusions

Our findings may indicate that proinflammatory cytokines, but not obesity or overweight, have crucial effects on cognitive function in patients with bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder, although proinflammatory cytokines and obesity or overweight were found to be strongly associated. The complex relationships between affective disorder diagnosis, proinflammatory cytokine levels, obesity or overweight, and cognitive function require further investigation.

Keywords

Obesityproinflammatory cytokinesbipolar disordermajor depressive disordercognition
Type
Original Research
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 26 , Issue 5 , October 2021 , pp. 521 - 527
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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