A comprehensive intervention (CI) on patients with Alzheimer's disease was assessed by measuring plasmabrain-derived neurotrophic factor (pBDNF) and ADAS-Cog score (ADAS-Cogscore) before, immediately after (FU1), and 6 (FU2) and 24 months (FU3) after the CI. Baseline pBDNF was higher in patients with moderate AD (but not mild AD) than in healthy controls. At FU1, pBDNF and ADAS-Cogscore decreas...

Background The popular recreational abuse drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') produces acute and long-lasting deficits in several markers of the serotonergic (5-HT) system. BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) is a prominent trophic factor of serotonergic fibers. The aim of this study was to characterize the damage of serotonergic fibers in the frontoparietal cortex and...

BACKGROUND Cognitive impairments are seen in first psychotic episode (FEP) patients. The neurobiological underpinnings that might underlie these changes remain unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels are associated with cognitive impairment in FEP patients compared with healthy controls. METHODS 45 FEP patients and 45 healthy co...

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a serious mental disorder that affects the development and emotional growth of affected patients. The brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is recognized as one of the possible markers of the framework and its evolution. Abnormalities in BDNF signaling in the hippocampus could explain the cognitive decline seen in patients with TB. Our aim with this study ...

A pilot study by Reyes [1] previously showed that ingestion of single dose of whole coffee fruit concentrate (WCFC) powder increased blood levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the first 60 minutes after ingestion. In the present report, we performed a single dose, placebo-controlled, within-subject study to confirm and further investigate this effect. Twenty healthy subject...

To address questions of whether endogenous BDNF acts differentially on inhibitory and excitatory neurons, and through what routes, we used chimera culture of cerebral cortical neurons derived from BDNF-/- mice and another type of transgenic mice that express green fluorescence protein and BDNF. Presynaptic BDNF transferred to both types of neurons, GABA-synthesizing enzyme-positive and -negativ...

The effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on cocaine-seeking are brain region-specific. Infusion of BDNF into subcortical structures, like the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area, enhances cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and cocaine-seeking. Conversely, repeated administration of BDNF antiserum into the nucleus accumbens during chronic cocaine self-administration...

Neurotrophic support to peripheral sensory neurons is provided by 2 factors of related sequence, NGF and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). NGF is present in peripheral target tissues, while BDNF has only been reported in the CNS. We now report the biological characterization and molecular cloning of a cDNA for BDNF from human platelets. BDNF in human platelets has biological activities ...

Nerve growth factor (NGF) was discovered in the early 1950s due to its trophic (survivaland growth-promoting) effects on sensory and sympathetic neurons (LeviMontalcini and Hamburger, 1951). In 1982, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the second member of the “neurotrophin” family of neurotrophic factors, was shown to promote survival of a subpopulation of dorsal root ganglion neurons, a...

Increasing evidence over the last two decades has indicated that the pathophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and the action of antidepressants both involve Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a major neuronal growth factor in the brain. MDD is a complex disorder that results from genetic and environmental influences, singly or in combination. This article reviews the current kn...