Association between serum IGF‑1 levels and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease

Aims

We aimed to measure serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and assess their correlation with non-motor symptoms (NMS).

Background

Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal levels of IGF-1 play a crucial role in the development of PD.

Objective

Further systematic research is needed to explore the potential roles of abnormal IGF-1 levels in NMS of PD.

Methods

The study enrolled a total of 129 PD patients and 130 healthy controls (HCs). Within the PD cohort, 74 patients were classified as being in the early stage, while 55 were in the moderate stage.

Results

This study found no significant difference in serum IGF-1 levels between PD patients and HC. Further analysis revealed no significant difference in IGF-1 levels between early-stage PD and those in the moderate stages. Linear regression analysis indicated a significant association between serum IGF-1 levels and Nonmotor Symptom Scale (NMSS) scores in PD patients. Linear regression analysis revealed significant correlations between serum IGF-1 levels and general cognitive function, information processing speed, and executive function in PD patients. Furthermore, lower serum IGF-1 levels were associated with fatigue in PD patients.

Conclusions

In summary, our study suggests a potential association between serum IGF-1 levels and specific NMS in patients with PD. These findings highlight the importance of long-term follow-up studies to determine whether serum biomarkers can serve as valuable tools for early detection of NMS in PD.