Serum adiponectin and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease with comorbid depression

doi:10.5498/wjp.118148

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World Journal of Psychiatry

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2220-3206

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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Observational Study

Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2026; 16(7): 118148
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.118148

Serum adiponectin and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease with comorbid depression

Chong Song, Wei Zhan, Jia-Yu Tang, Zhu-Hui Liu, Yong-Pan Huang

Chong Song, Zhu-Hui Liu, Yong-Pan Huang, School of Medicine, Changsha Social Work College, Changsha 410004, Hunan Province, China

Wei Zhan, Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China

Wei Zhan, Department of Radiology, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China

Jia-Yu Tang, Department of Neurology, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province, Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China

Co-first authors: Chong Song and Wei Zhan.

Co-corresponding authors: Jia-Yu Tang and Yong-Pan Huang.

Author contributions: Song C, Zhan W, Tang JY and Liu ZH contributed to research design, data collection, data analysis, and paper writing; Huang YP was responsible for research design, funding application, data analysis, reviewing and editing, communication coordination, ethical review, copyright and licensing, and follow-up. Song C and Zhan W contributed equally to this work as co-first authors. We designate two co-corresponding authors because both Huang YP and Tang JY made substantial and equal contributions to this study, sharing critical responsibilities in conceptualization, methodology design, data interpretation, manuscript drafting, and revision. Huang YP, based at Changsha Social Work College, led the research design, funding acquisition, and overall project coordination, while Tang JY, from Brain Hospital of Hunan Province, oversaw the clinical data collection, patient recruitment, and cognitive assessments. Given their complementary expertise in pharmacology and neurology, and their joint leadership throughout all stages of the research-from inception to final submission-it is appropriate to recognize them as co-corresponding authors. This arrangement ensures comprehensive correspondence regarding both the academic oversight and clinical aspects of the work, reflecting their equally significant intellectual and supervisory roles in this collaborative project.

AI contribution statement: We use DeepL to assist in polishing the language of the manuscript. However, we did not use AI to write the content of the manuscript. The entire content (abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion) of this manuscript, with the exception of some parts, was not generated by AI. The entire main content of this article was written by the author. The design of the study and the interpretation of the results were completed by the author. All the pictures were created by the author and no AI technology was used.

Supported by Education Department of Hunan Province, No. 25C1704; and Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, No. 2023JJ60263.

Institutional review board statement: The research was reviewed and approved by The Brain Hospital of Hunan Province.

Informed consent statement: All research participants or their legal guardians provided written informed consent prior to study registration.

Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest is associated with this work.

STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.

Data sharing statement: No other data available.

Corresponding author: Yong-Pan Huang, Dean, School of Medicine, Changsha Social Work College, No. 22 Xiangzhang Road, Yuhua District, Changsha 410004, Hunan Province, China. songchong0731@163.com

Received: January 27, 2026
Revised: February 12, 2026
Accepted: March 20, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 149 Days and 16.2 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Depression is a highly prevalent comorbidity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), exacerbating cognitive decline and worsening prognosis. Adiponectin (APN), an adipokine with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, has been implicated in both conditions, yet its role in the comorbid state remains unclear. We hypothesized that serum APN levels would be significantly reduced in these patients and would independently correlate with the severity of cognitive impairment.

AIM

To investigate the association between serum APN levels and cognitive function in AD patients with comorbid depression.

METHODS

This observational study enrolled 60 AD patients with depression and 60 healthy controls from a hospital neurology department. The observation group was subclassified into mild, moderate, and severe groups using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Serum APN levels were determined via ELISA, and metabolic/inflammatory markers were also assessed. Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

In the observation group serum APN levels (6.67 ± 1.99 μg/mL) and MoCA/MMSE scores were considerably lower than in control group (12.53 ± 2.87 μg/mL; all P < 0.001). Within the observation group, APN levels and cognitive scores decreased progressively with worsening disease severity (all P < 0.001). Serum APN was positively associated with MoCA (r = 0.781, P < 0.001) and MMSE scores (r = 0.643, P < 0.001). After adjusting for metabolic/inflammatory factors, APN remained an independent predictor of MoCA scores (t = 8.009, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Serum APN levels are markedly reduced in AD patients with depression and closely correlate with impaired cognition. APN may represent a potential biomarker for assessing cognitive status in this population.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Depression; Adiponectin; Cognitive function; Correlation

Core Tip: This study demonstrates a significant reduction in serum adiponectin (APN) levels in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) complicated by depression, which progressively declines with worsening disease severity and independently correlates with cognitive impairment. These findings highlight APN as a promising peripheral biomarker for cognitive assessment in AD-depression comorbidity, offering potential pathways for novel therapeutic strategies and more precise clinical monitoring.