An elaborative NMR based plasma metabolomics study revealed metabolic derangements in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a study on north Indian population

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is transition phase between cognitive decline and dementia. The current study aims to investigate altered metabolic pattern in plasma of MCI for potential biomarkers. MCI (N = 50) and healthy controls (HC, N = 50) age group 55-75 years were screened based on Mini Mental State Examination Test (MMSE) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI imaging). The MMSE score of MCI was significantly lower (25.74 +/- 1.83) compared to healthy control subjects (29 +/- 1). The MCI patients exhibit significant changes in white matter integrity in the right frontal lobe, right temporal lobe, left frontal lobe, forcep major, fornix, corpus callosum. Further, the plasma samples of twenty seven MCI patients (N = 27) and twenty HC subjects (N = 20; having no significant differences in any demographics) were analyzed using H-1 NMR based metabolomics approach. Consistent with many previous reports, the levels of several plasma metabolites were found to be elevated in MCI patients compared to healthy controls. Further univariate and multivariate ROC curve analyses provided three plasma metabolites as a diagnostic panel of biomarker for MCI; which are lysine, glycine, and glutamine. Overall, the results of this study will help to improve the diagnostic and prognostic strategies of MCI in addition to improving our understanding about disease pathogenesis. We believe that the over-nutritional metabolic phenotype of MCI needs to be targeted for developing future dietary interventions so that the progression of MCI can be limited.

Automated summary

This study identified elevated levels of several plasma metabolites in MCI patients compared to healthy controls, with lysine, glycine, and glutamine being proposed as potential biomarkers for MCI. The findings aim to enhance diagnostic and prognostic strategies for MCI and shed light on the disease pathogenesis. Further research targeting the metabolic phenotype of MCI may lead to the development of future dietary interventions to limit disease progression.