Are serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations related to brain structure and psychopathology in late childhood and early adolescence?

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 790-796
Author(s):  
Celia Maria de Araujo ◽  
Walter Swardfager ◽  
Andre Zugman ◽  
Hugo Cogo-Moreira ◽  
Sintia I. Belangero ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveMental disorders can have a major impact on brain development. Peripheral blood concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are lower in adult psychiatric disorders. Serum BDNF concentrations and BDNF genotype have been associated with cortical maturation in children and adolescents. In 2 large independent samples, this study tests associations between serum BDNF concentrations, brain structure, and psychopathology, and the effects of BDNF genotype on BDNF serum concentrations in late childhood and early adolescence.MethodsChildren and adolescents (7-14 years old) from 2 cities (n = 267 in Porto Alegre; n = 273 in São Paulo) were evaluated as part of the Brazilian high-risk cohort (HRC) study. Serum BDNF concentrations were quantified by sandwich ELISA. Genotyping was conducted from blood or saliva samples using the SNParray Infinium HumanCore Array BeadChip. Subcortical volumes and cortical thickness were quantified using FreeSurfer. The Development and Well-Being Behavior Assessment was used to identify the presence of a psychiatric disorder.ResultsSerum BDNF concentrations were not associated with subcortical volumes or with cortical thickness. Serum BDNF concentration did not differ between participants with and without mental disorders, or between Val homozygotes and Met carriers.ConclusionsNo evidence was found to support serum BDNF concentrations as a useful marker of developmental differences in brain and behavior in early life. Negative findings were replicated in 2 of the largest independent samples investigated to date.

2006 ◽  
Vol 91 (9) ◽  
pp. 3548-3552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Areeg H. El-Gharbawy ◽  
Diane C. Adler-Wailes ◽  
Margaret C. Mirch ◽  
Kelly R. Theim ◽  
Lisa Ranzenhofer ◽  
...  

Abstract Context: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor appear to be important components of the leptin-signaling cascade involved in energy homeostasis, and mice with BDNF or TrkB gene haploinsufficiency have excessive adiposity. Little is known about the relationship between adiposity and BDNF, particularly in children. Objective: The objective of the study was to study the association of serum BDNF with measures of adiposity in children. Design/Setting/Patients: BDNF was determined by a sandwich-type ELISA after an overnight fast in convenience sample of 328 subjects, aged 3–19 yr enriched for extreme obesity. In 43, BDNF was also measured before, and again 1 h after, consuming a high-energy content (787 kcal) milkshake. Main Outcome Measures: Measures included associations between BDNF and measures of adiposity. Results: There were no significant univariate associations between log BDNF and adiposity measured by body mass index (BMI), BMI-Z score, or fat mass. However, in an analysis of covariance accounting for age, sex, race, pubertal status, and platelet count, BDNF was lower in overweight children (mean ± sd, 39.8 ± 24.8 vs. 47.0 ± 25.4 ng/dl, P = 0.03); in multiple regression analyses with log BDNF as the dependent variable, BMI (P = 0.03), BMI-Z (P = 0.01), and body fat (P < 0.02) were all negatively associated with BDNF once age, pubertal status, and platelet count were included in the model. Ingestion of a meal did not significantly alter serum BDNF 1 h later (P = 0.26). Conclusions: Serum BDNF is lower in extremely overweight children and adolescents than those of normal weight. It remains to be determined whether obese individuals with low serum BDNF for age and platelet count have mutations that alter BDNF function.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 356-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majda Grah ◽  
Mate Mihanovic ◽  
Nedjeljka Ruljancic ◽  
Branka Restek-Petrovic ◽  
Sven Molnar ◽  
...  

ObjectiveBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in brain plasticity processes and serum levels have been demonstrated to be altered in patients with different mental disorder including suicidal behaviour. The objective of this study was to examine the association between serum BDNF levels as a possible peripheral indicator of suicide behaviour in subjects suffering from depression, personality disorders (PDs) and adjustment disorders (ADs) with or without suicide attempt.MethodsThe research included 172 randomly selected individuals suffering from recurrent depressive disorder (RDD; F 33.2), emotionally unstable PD (F 60.3) and AD (F 43.2), with or without attempted suicide according to the criteria of the ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision) and 60 phenotypically health control subjects. In the group of patients, 73% subjects took some form of psychopharmacotherapy. Serum BDNF levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsSubjects with PD and AD with suicide attempts had significantly lower serum BDNF levels than those without suicide attempts. In groups of subjects with PD and AD, those taking psychopharmacotherapy had higher serum BDNF levels. In the group of subjects with RDD, there were no differences with respect to suicide attempts or psychopharmacotherapy. Logistical regression analysis was indicated that psychopharmcotherapy and serum BDNF levels statistically correlated with suicide attempts.ConclusionThe lower levels of BDNF in subjects suffering from PD and AD with suicide attempts, suggest that the serum BDNF level is a potential marker of suicidal behaviour, independent of mental disorders.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 360
Author(s):  
Giulia Federica Mancini ◽  
Enrico Marchetta ◽  
Irene Pignani ◽  
Viviana Trezza ◽  
Patrizia Campolongo

Early-life adverse experiences (first hit) lead to coping strategies that may confer resilience or vulnerability to later experienced stressful events (second hit) and the subsequent development of stress-related psychopathologies. Here, we investigated whether exposure to two stressors at different stages in life has long-term effects on emotional and cognitive capabilities, and whether the interaction between the two stressors influences stress resilience. Male rats were subjected to social defeat stress (SDS, first hit) in adolescence and to a single episode of prolonged stress (SPS, second hit) in adulthood. Behavioral outcomes, hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and plasma corticosterone levels were tested in adulthood. Rats exposed to both stressors exhibited resilience against the development of stress-induced alterations in emotional behaviors and spatial memory, but vulnerability to cued fear memory dysfunction. Rats subjected to both stressors demonstrated resilience against the SDS-induced alterations in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and plasma corticosterone levels. SPS alone altered locomotion and spatial memory retention; these effects were absent in SDS-exposed rats later exposed to SPS. Our findings reveal that exposure to social stress during early adolescence influences the ability to cope with a second challenge experienced later in life.


2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Maria Inês A. Wilasco ◽  
Carolina Uribe-Cruz ◽  
Daniele Santetti ◽  
Bianca Pfaffenseller ◽  
Cristina T.L. Dornelles ◽  
...  

Background: The nutritional status in patients with cirrhosis is not so easy to assess properly. Considering the relationship between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and energy homeostasis, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of BDNF in children and adolescents with cirrhosis due to biliary atresia (BA) and correlate it with their nutritional status. Methods: Fifty-three children and adolescents with cirrhosis due to BA and 33 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric parameters, and serum BDNF was measured by ELISA. Spearman coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between variables. Results: In the cirrhosis group, 28.8% were undernourished and in the control group, 100% were well-nourished. BDNF median values for the control and cirrhosis group were 28.5 and 9.0 pg/ml respectively. BDNF and platelets were positively associated with both Standard Deviation Score (SDS) for height-for-age ratio and SDS for triceps skinfold thickness-for-age ratio. Conclusions: Considering these associations, BDNF may be an indirect biomarker of nutritional status in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease. Further studies must be conducted to clarify the role of BDNF in this population.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Anthony O. Ahmed ◽  
Samantha Kramer ◽  
Naama Hofman ◽  
John Flynn ◽  
Marie Hansen ◽  
...  

Aim: The Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the BDNF gene has established pleiotropic effects on schizophrenia incidence and morphologic alterations in the illness. The effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on brain volume measurements are however mixed seeming to be less established for most brain regions. The current meta-analytic review examined (1) the association of the Val66Met SNP and brain volume alterations in schizophrenia by comparing Met allele carriers to Val/Val homozygotes and (2) the association of serum BDNF with brain volume measurements. Method: Studies included in the meta-analyses were identified through an electronic search of PubMed and PsycInfo (via EBSCO) for English language publications from January 2000 through December 2017. Included studies had conducted a genotyping procedure of Val66Met or obtained assays of serum BDNF and obtained brain volume data in patients with psychotic disorders. Nonhuman studies were excluded. Results: Study 1 which included 52 comparisons of Met carriers and Val/Val homozygotes found evidence of lower right and left hippocampal volumes among Met allele carriers with schizophrenia. Frontal measurements, while also lower among Met carriers, did not achieve statistical significance. Study 2 which included 7 examinations of the correlation between serum BDNF and brain volume found significant associations between serum BDNF levels and right and left hippocampal volume with lower BDNF corresponding to lower volumes. Discussion: The meta-analyses provided evidence of associations between brain volume alterations in schizophrenia and variations on the Val66Met SNP and serum BDNF. Given the limited number of studies, it remains unclear if BDNF effects are global or regionally specific.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Ahmad ◽  
Rodney Hansen ◽  
Matthew Schmolesky

AbstractResearch suggests strong inter-relationships between physical exercise, levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), levels of estrogen, and the menstrual cycle, and yet no single study has examined these factors collectively in humans. The current study assessed the effect of an acute bout of vigorous aerobic exercise (20 minutes of stationary cycling at 80% of heart rate reserve) on serum BDNF and estradiol in healthy, eumenorrheic women, ages 18-28. In addition, this study determined whether basal BDNF or the exercise-induced increase in BDNF varies throughout the menstrual cycle. Thirty-four subjects were assigned to an experimental (n = 27) or control condition (n = 7). Exercise transiently increased both estradiol (51.2%) and BDNF (23.6%), and basal levels of BDNF and estradiol predicted the magnitude of the exercise-induced increases. Basal BDNF did not vary significantly throughout the menstrual cycle. Exercise-induced changes in BDNF did not correlate with menstrual cycle day or basal estradiol. Basal estradiol and basal BDNF showed a marginally significant positive correlation. Taken together, these results indicate that brief, vigorous aerobic exercise is sufficient to elevate both BDNF and estradiol in healthy women and that the menstrual cycle dramatically influences the magnitude of exercise-induced changes in estradiol, but not BDNF


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 437 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Te Lee ◽  
Wayne Sheu

Circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) predicts survival rate in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We examined the relationship between BDNF and renalase before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the role of renalase in patients with CAD. Serum BDNF and renalase levels were determined using blood samples collected before and after PCI. Incident myocardial infarction, stroke, and mortality were followed up longitudinally. A total of 152 patients completed the assessment. BDNF levels were not significantly changed after PCI compared to baseline levels (24.7 ± 11.0 vs. 23.5 ± 8.3 ng/mL, p = 0.175), although renalase levels were significantly reduced (47.5 ± 17.3 vs. 35.9 ± 11.3 ng/mL, p < 0.001). BDNF level before PCI was an independent predictor of reduction in renalase (95% confidence interval (CI): −1.371 to −0.319). During a median 4.1 years of follow-up, patients with serum renalase levels of ≥35 ng/mL had a higher risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and death than those with renalase of <35 ng/mL (hazard ratio = 5.636, 95% CI: 1.444–21.998). In conclusion, our results show that serum BDNF levels before PCI were inversely correlated with the percentage change in renalase levels after PCI. Nevertheless, post-PCI renalase level was a strong predictor for myocardial infarction, stroke, and death.


2022 ◽  
pp. 109980042110651
Author(s):  
Tingting Liu ◽  
Hongjin Li ◽  
Yvette P. Conley ◽  
Brian A. Primack ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
...  

Introduction Aging is associated with subtle cognitive decline in attention, memory, executive function, processing speed, and reasoning. Although lower brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been linked to cognitive decline among older adults, it is not known if the association differs among individuals with various BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) genotypes. In addition, it is not clear whether these associations vary by hand grip strength or physical activity (PA). Methods A total of 2904 older adults were included in this study using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Associations between serum BDNF and measures of cognitive function were evaluated using multivariable linear regression models stratified by Met allele status. PA and hand grip strength were added to the model to evaluate whether including these variables altered associations between serum BDNF and cognition. Results Mean age was 71.4 years old, and mean body mass index was 28.3 kg/m2. Serum BDNF levels were positively associated with higher total cognitive score (beta = 0.34, p = .07), mental status (beta = 0.16, p = .07), and word recall (beta = 0.22, p =.04) among Met carriers, while serum BDNF levels were negatively associated with mental status (beta = −0.09, p = .07) among non-Met carriers. Furthermore, associations changed when hand grip strength was added to the model but not when PA was added to the model. Conclusions The BDNF Val66Met variant may moderate the association between serum BDNF levels and cognitive function in older adults. Furthermore, such associations differ according to hand grip strength but not PA.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 205970021989410
Author(s):  
Taylor R Susa ◽  
Ryan D Brandt ◽  
Keara J Kangas ◽  
Catherine E Bammert ◽  
Erich N Ottem ◽  
...  

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) helps restore neuronal function following mild traumatic brain injury. BDNF levels can be obtained in blood serum and more recently in saliva. However, the relationship between serum and salivary BDNF is poorly understood—especially in relation to alterations in BDNF levels following mild traumatic brain injury. In this study, serum and salivary BDNF were collected from a sample of 42 collegiate student athletes. Half of the participants were recently cleared by a physician and/or an athletic trainer to return-to-play after experiencing a sports-related concussion. The other half had not experienced a concussion within the past year and were matched by age, sex, sport, and time of sample. Results suggest that incidences of depression, anxiety, and stress were all elevated in the concussion group, relative to the control participants. When controlling for stress-related negative affect, serum BDNF was elevated in the concussion group. However, there was no difference in salivary BDNF. Serum and salivary BDNF were uncorrelated across the entire sample. Yet, these measures of BDNF were correlated in the concussion group, but not the control group. In sum, serum BDNF is elevated in concussion post return-to-play; however, further research is needed to explore the utility of salivary BDNF following concussion.


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