Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee: Pirogov University.
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Relationship of stable combinations of salivary catecholamines with cerebral function organization in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia

About authors

Research Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russia

Correspondence should be addressed: Vitaly F. Fokin
Volokolamskoye shosse 80, Moscow, 125367, Russia; ur.liam@fvf

About paper

Author contribution: Fokin VF — manuscript writing; Abaimov DA — biochemistry testing; Ponomareva NV — physiological and neuropsychological testing design, general study design; Medvedev RB — Doppler tests and clinical assessment; Konovalov RN — brain imaging testing design; Lagoda OV — clinical assessment; Krotenkova MV — brain imaging testing management; Shabalina AA — biochemistry testing design; Tanashyan MM — clinical assessment management, general study design.

Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Research Center of Neurology (protocol No. 5-6/22 dated 1 June 2022). The informed consent was submitted by all study participants.

Received: 2025-07-29 Accepted: 2025-08-13 Published online: 2025-08-21
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The study of the role of catecholamines (CAs) in cerebral organization of functions in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) is relevant, since their important role as neurotransmitters is well known, along with the association with stress severity and cortisol. The study aimed to assess the impact of stable combinations of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NA), and adrenaline (ADR) on the organization of cerebral functions. A total of 76 patients with CCI were assessed based on the fMRI data (n = 21) converted into a network structure using the SPM-12 and CONN-18 software tools. Significance level estimation involved adjustment for multiple comparisons. Stable combinations of CAs reflecting mutual positive correlation of DA, NA and BP significantly affected cerebral organization of patients with CCI. CA combinations were associated with salivary cortisol (F = 4.8; p = 0.038) and memory (F = 7.5; p = 0.011) indices: the CA level increase was associated with increased cortisol levels and worse memory indices. Based on fMRI data the differences were revealed in connectivity organization of CCI patients with high and low levels of all three CAs. Patients with the CA content below median are characterized by the presence of closed neural networks extending to both brain hemispheres, which contributes to information integration and retention. It is assumed that such networks may be associated with the long-term potentiation mechanisms playing an important role in memory processes and changes in the synaptic connection strength. Thus, the use of non-invasive biochemistry testing methods and fMRI has made it possible to obtain new data on the ring organization of brain neural networks associated with stable CA combinations. Such neural network organization is likely to affect cognitive functions. High catecholamine levels in CCI patients are associated with increased cortisol levels, memory deterioration, and decreased connectivity in neural network of the brain.

Keywords: catecholamines, neural networks, chronic cerebral ischemia, adrenaline, dopamine, norepinephrine, cerebral functions, connectivities, fMRI

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