The relationship between cognitive function and the levels of serum nitric oxide and other oxidative stress indexes in patients with heroin dependence
LI Wu
HU Chun-feng
LI Long-fei
WANG Xu-yi
ZHOU Xu-hui
HAO Wei
Abstract：Objective To explore the relationship between cognitive deficits and the levels of serum nitric oxide (NO) and other oxidative stress indexes in male patients with heroin dependence (MPHD). Methods Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), Number Cancellation Test (NCT) and Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were employed to evaluate the cognitive function of 140 MPHD and 75 healthy controls. The levels of serum NO, malondialdehyde (MDA) and other oxidative stress indexes were detected by colorimetry. Results The memory quotient (MQ), attention and executive function in MPHD were significantly lower than that in healthy controls (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). Compared with healthy controls, MPHD had higher serum MDA level but lower total antioxidative capability (T-AOC), vitamin C (VC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The serum NO level was negatively correlated to MQ and the card number of M-WCST sorted correctly (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The serum MDA level was negatively correlated to MQ, total net scores in NCT (P＜0.01). The average value of serum VC showed significant association with MQ (P＜0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between serum SOD level and MQ, total net scores in NCT, the card number sorted correctly (P＜0.01).Conclusion MPHD suffered from cognitive dysfunction as well as oxidative and anti-oxidative unbalance. Serum NO, MDA, SOD and VC levels may be responsible for impaired cognition of MPHD.
Keywords：Substance dependenceHeroinCognitive functionOxidative stress
Publication Date：2008-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 109-113 )