Association of Neutrophil/Lymphocyte (N/L) Ratio and Spatial and Verbal Memory in Females

Increase in the ratio of the neutrophils to lymphocytes (N/L ratio) was considered as a predictor for not only the inflammation but also the cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Further, the ratio also reported as outcome measure in the treatment of cancer, heart diseases. It was reported that there was negative correlation between the N/L ratio with cognitive functions. The present study was undertaken to observe the association between the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and memory in females. 30 healthy females with in the age group of 18–24, who were willing to participate, were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio was determined by standard procedures. Memory was assessed by immediate word recall and immediate object recall test. Pearson correlation Data was analyzed by SPSS 20.0. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to observe the correlation between the variables. Weak positive correlation was observed between the N/L ratio and immediate word recall scores (R=0.1685; R2 = 0.0284). Weak negative correlation was observed between the N/L ratio and immediate object recall scores (R=-0.0684; R2=0.0047). There was positive correlation between the N/L ratio and immediate word recall whereas negative correlation was observed between N/L ratio and immediate object recall. We recommend further detailed studies with larger sample size to investigate the role of the N/L ratio as predictor of cognitive decline.