Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience  
Association of Cognitive Impairment and Peripheral Inflammation in Methamphetamine-dependent Patients: A Cross-sectional Study on Neuroinflammatory Markers TNF-α and IL-6
Kannika Permpoonputtana1, Jatuporn Namyen2, Doungjai Buntup3, Parichart Boontem4, Chutikorn Nopparat5, Piyarat Govitrapong4,6
1National Institute for Child and Family Development, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
2Brain, Mind and Learning Research and Development Unit, Department of Research and Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand
3Addiction Studies Program, ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
4Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, Thailand
5Innovative Learning Center, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand
6Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Correspondence to: Chutikorn Nopparat
Innovative Learning Center, Srinakharinwirot University, Sukhumvit 23, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
E-mail: chutikorn@g.swu.ac.th
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7984-3948

Piyarat Govitrapong
Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, 906 Kamphaeng Phet 6 Road, Lak Si, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
E-mail: piyarat@cgi.ac.th
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9403-6252
Received: September 2, 2024; Revised: November 12, 2024; Accepted: November 16, 2024; Published online: January 20, 2025.
© The Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology. All rights reserved.

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the cognitive impairment and peripheral inflammation induced by methamphetamine (METH) and their association in METH abusers. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 100 METH-dependent patients and 100 healthy controls. Cognitive screening was conducted using the Thai version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-T). Thirty normal controls and 30 METH-dependent patients were randomly selected for blood collection to measure inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, using a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results: METH-dependent patients had significantly poorer MoCA-T scores and higher levels of blood inflammatory markers compared to healthy controls. Demographic characteristics, METH use patterns, and proinflammatory cytokines were associated with cognitive impairment. The MoCA-T score was negatively associated with plasma TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Conclusion: METH-associated cognitive decline is correlated with elevated plasma levels of TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines, indicating the involvement of specific neuroinflammatory pathways in neurocognitive dysfunction. These insights could pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating neuroinflammation, potentially improving outcomes for individuals with METH addiction.
Keywords: Cognitive dysfunction; Methamphetamine; Cytokines; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Interleukin-1 beta; Interleukin-6


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