ECE2023 Poster Presentations Pituitary and Neuroendocrinology (123 abstracts)
1Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil; 2University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; 3The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, Department of Medicine, Maryland, United States
Mice with isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) due to GHRH receptor mutations live longer than their normal siblings with an extended healthspan, i.e., the period of life free from disabilities. Human IGHD individuals due to a mutation in the GHRH receptor gene from Itabaianinha, Brazil, has a normal lifespan with an extended healthspan (1). Our hypothesis is that their aging is accompanied by a delayed cognitive decline. Accordingly, we used the Literacy Independent Cognitive Assessment (LICA) in 15 IGHD individuals over 50 years of age and 15 controls matched by age, sex, years of education, and percentage of illiteracy. All individuals were negative for HIV and syphilis serology, and exhibited normal serum levels of folate, vitamin B12 and TSH. IGHD subjects had a higher total LICA score than the control group, without reaching statistical significance. However, they showed better attention (P=0.013) and executive function (P=0.034). MANCOVA revealed that group had a significant effect on attention (partial eta squared of 0.216, power of 0.749, P=0.011), and on the executive function (partial eta squared of 0.154, power of 0.570, P=0.035), translating into superior cognitive performance in the IGHD group. In conclusion, untreated lifetime IGHD is associated with superior cognitive performance in senescence.
Parameters | IGHD | Controls | 95% CI | P |
Age (years) | 66.0 (8) | 66.4 (6.5) | -5.8 to 5.0 | 0.881 |
Sex, male (n%) | 6 (40) | 6 (40) | -0.3 to -0.3 | 1 |
Weight (kg) | 46.5 (15.1) | 66.6 (10.3) | -29.7 to -10.4 | <0.0001 |
Height (m) | 1.2 (0.1) | 1.6 (0.1) | -0.4 to -0.3 | <0.0001 |
Head circunference (cm) | 50.7 (2.8) | 54.7 (2.2) | -5.9 to -2.1 | <0.0001 |
Illiteracy (n%) | 5(33.3) | 5(33.3) | -0.3 to 0.3 | 1 |
Education years | 6.4 (5.5) | 4.7 (4.1) | -1.9 to 5.3 | 0.332 |
Memory | 89.2 (19.3) | 83.6(11.9) | -6.5 to 17.6 | 0.347 |
Visuospatial construction | 28.0 (2.8) | 26.2 (3.5) | -0.6 to 4.2 | 0.134 |
Language | 39.4 (3.8) | 39.4 (3.9) | -2.9 to 2.9 | 1 |
Executive function | 38.3 (4.8) | 35.1 (2.5) | 0.3 to 6.1 | 0.034 |
Attention | 9.5 (1.4) | 8.3 (1.1) | 0.3 to 2.1 | 0.013 |
Calculation | 11.5 (0.5) | 11.7 (0.5) | -0.5 to 0.2 | 0.373 |
Total Score | 215.8 (22.7) | 204.2 (18.1) | -3.7 to 28.0 | 0.130 |
1. Aguiar-Oliveira MH & Bartke A. Endocr Rev. 2019;40(2):575-601