Impact of Baduanjin exercise combined with rational emotive behavior therapy on sleep and mood in patients with poststroke depression: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Poststroke depression (PSD) is one of the most common stroke complications. It not only leads to a decline in patients' quality of life but also increases the mortality of patients. In this study, the method of combining Chinese traditional exercise Baduanjin with psychotherapy was used to intervene in patients with PSD and to explore the improvement of sleep, mood, and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in patients with PSD by combined treatment. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with PSD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to Baduanjin group (n = 50) or control group (n = 50). The control group received treatment with escitalopram oxalate and rational emotive behavior therapy, while the experimental group received Baduanjin training in addition to the treatment given to the control group. Changes in sleep efficiency, sleep total time, sleep latency, arousal index, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale score, serum BDNF, 5-HT, IL-6 levels, and Modified Barthel Index were measured at baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after intervention, and the results were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Significantly improvements in the sleep efficiency, sleep total time, serum 5-HT, BDNF levels, and Modified Barthel Index score were detected at week 4 in the Baduanjin group than in the control group (P < .05). Additionally, the sleep latency, arousal index, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale scores and IL-6 levels in the Baduanjin group were lower than those in the control group (P < .05). After 8 weeks of treatment, the above indexes in the Baduanjin group were further improved compared with the control group (P < .05), and the above indexes of the 2 groups were significantly improved compared with the baseline (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Baduanjin exercise combined with rational emotive behavior therapy effectively improves the mood and sleep status of patients with PSD; It increases the serum levels of 5-HT and BDNF while reducing the level of serum proinflammatory factor IL-6; additionally, the intervention alleviates the degree of neurological impairment, upgrades the ability of daily living, and improves the quality of life.

Correlations between personality traits, personality disorders, and immunometabolic markers.

Evidence links immune system alterations to major psychiatric disorders. The few previous studies on personality traits or personality disorders (PDs) indicate that immunometabolic dysregulation may be prevalent in this population. This study aimed to investigate relationships between personality traits, PDs, and immunometabolic markers in peripheral blood. We hypothesized that neuroticism would be correlated with elevated leptin. Participants were recruited as young adults seeking care for general psychiatric disorders. They responded to a personality inventory and were assessed for PDs, and reevaluated again at a 12 years follow-up. Blood samples were collected at the follow-up and analyzed for 29 immunometabolic markers. A positive correlation was found between the personality trait neuroticism and leptin (ρ = 0.31, p = 0.02). An exploratory analysis also revealed a positive correlation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (ρ = 0.36, p < 0.01) and neuroticism. These findings remained after adjusting for other variables in general linear models. There were no relationships between PDs and any immunometabolic markers. Results both confirm previous findings of correlations between the immunometabolic system and personality traits and suggest directions for future research.

Investigating the role of TGF-ß and BDNF in cancer-related depression: a primary cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related depression is a well-documented condition that significantly impacts long-term quality of life. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin essential for neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity, has been implicated in various neuropsychological disorders including depression associated with cancer. Cytokines, on the other hand, play a crucial role in regulating depression, potentially by influencing BDNF expression. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), a key immune regulator within the tumor microenvironment, has been found to elevate BDNF levels, establishing a link between peripheral immune responses and depression. The study aims to investigate the correlation of TGF-ß and BDNF in cancer-related depression. METHODS: This study involved a cohort of 153 gynecological patients, including 61 patients with gynecological cancer and 92 patients without cancer. Depression levels were assessed using the subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), and TGF-ß and BDNF plasma levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The study revealed elevated plasma TGF-ß levels in patients with cancer (32.24 ± 22.93 ng/ml) compared to those without cancer (25.24 ± 19.72 ng/ml) (P = 0.046). Additionally, reduced levels of BDNF were observed in patients presenting depression symptoms (44.96 ± 41.06 pg/ml) compared to those without depression (133.5 ± 176.7 pg/ml) (P = 0.036). Importantly, a significant correlation between TGF-ß and BDNF was found in patients without cancer but with depression (correlation coefficient = 0.893, **P < 0.01). Interestingly, cancer appeared to influence the association between TGF-ß and BDNF in patients with depression, as evidenced by a significant difference in the correlation of TGF-ß and BDNF between cancer and non-cancer groups (P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the active involvement of TGF-ß and BDNF crosstalk in the context of cancer-related depression.

Altered serum levels of neuronal proteins and antibodies to them in occupational diseases of the nervous system.

Aclinical and immunological examination of men with occupational pathology, including vibration disease (VD), occupational sensorineural hearing loss (SHL), and chronic mercury intoxication (CMI), was carried out. The comparison group consisted of men comparable in age and total work experience. Serum concentrations of neurotrophins (S100ß, MBP, BDNF) and antibodies (ABs) to S100ß and MBP proteins were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An increase in the level of the S100ß protein was shown in CMI, VD, and a tendency for its increase was found in SHL. In parallel, an increase in AB to the S100ß protein in VD and SHL and a decrease in AB in CMI were noted. A comparative assessment of MBP levels indicated a pronounced increase in its serum concentrations in patients with CMI and VD versus the comparison group. At the same time, an increase in the level of serum ABs to MBP in individuals with VD and SHL, and a decrease in patients with CMI were noted. In patients with CMI, a significant decrease in the BDNF concentration was found, while in SHL and VD, no statistically significant differences were found in comparison with the comparison group. The results obtained confirm importance of assessing serum concentrations of neurotrophic proteins and ABs to them in the case of occupational damage to the nervous system caused by exposure to physical and chemical factors.

Pro-Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), but Not Mature BDNF, Is Expressed in Human Skeletal Muscle: Implications for Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity.

Exercise promotes brain plasticity partly by stimulating increases in mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF), but the role of the pro-BDNF isoform in the regulation of BDNF metabolism in humans is unknown. We quantified the expression of pro-BDNF and mBDNF in human skeletal muscle and plasma at rest, after acute exercise (+/- lactate infusion), and after fasting. Pro-BDNF and mBDNF were analyzed with immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Pro-BDNF was consistently and clearly detected in skeletal muscle (40-250 pg mg-1 dry muscle), whereas mBDNF was not. All methods showed a 4-fold greater pro-BDNF expression in type I muscle fibers compared to type II fibers. Exercise resulted in elevated plasma levels of mBDNF (55%) and pro-BDNF (20%), as well as muscle levels of pro-BDNF (∼10%, all P < 0.05). Lactate infusion during exercise induced a significantly greater increase in plasma mBDNF (115%, P < 0.05) compared to control (saline infusion), with no effect on pro-BDNF levels in plasma or muscle. A 3-day fast resulted in a small increase in plasma pro-BDNF (∼10%, P < 0.05), with no effect on mBDNF. Pro-BDNF is highly expressed in human skeletal muscle, particularly in type I fibers, and is increased after exercise. While exercising with higher lactate augmented levels of plasma mBDNF, exercise-mediated increases in circulating mBDNF likely derive partly from release and cleavage of pro-BDNF from skeletal muscle, and partly from neural and other tissues. These findings have implications for preclinical and clinical work related to a wide range of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, clinical depression, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

How BDNF affects working memory in acute sleep deprivation: The mediating role of spontaneous brain activity.

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mediates the plasticity associated with memory processing, and compensatorily increases after acute sleep deprivation (SD). However, whether the altered spontaneous brain activity mediates the association between BDNF and working memory in SD remains unknown. Here, we aimed to probe the mediating role of the spontaneous brain activity between plasma BDNF and WM function in SD. A total of 30 healthy subjects with regular sleep were enrolled in this study. Resting-sate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and the peripheral blood were collected before and after 24 h SD. All participants also received n-back task assessing working memory (WM) performance. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) were calculated to reflect the intensity of regional spontaneous brain activity. Plasma BDNF was measured by sandwich ELISA. Our results revealed a significant decline in WM and increase in plasma BDNF level after SD, and negative association between the changed WM performance and plasma BDNF level. Specially, the ALFF of the left inferior parietal cortex and right inferior frontal cortex, and fALFF of the left anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex and left posterior opercular cortex regulated the association between the BDNF and one-back reaction time respectively. Our results suggest that the association between BDNF and working memory may be mediated through regional spontaneous brain activity involving in the cerebral cortex, which may provide new sight into the interaction between neurotrophic factors and cognition, and potential targets for noninvasive brain stimulation on WM decline after acute SD.

Expression Patterns of miRNAs in Egyptian Children with ADHD: Clinical Study with Correlation Analysis.

ADHD has huge knowledge gaps concerning its etiology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) provide promising diagnostic biomarkers of human pathophysiology and may be a novel therapeutic option. The aim was to investigate the levels of miR-34c-3p, miR-155, miR-138-1, miR-296-5p, and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a group of children with ADHD compared to neurotypicals and to explore correlations between these measures and some clinical data. The participants were children with ADHD in Group I (N = 41; age: 8.2 ± 2) and neurotypical ones in Group II (N = 40; age: 8.6 ± 2.5). Group I was subjected to clinical examination, the Stanford Binet intelligence scale-5, the preschool language scale, and Conner's parent rating scale-R. Measuring the expression levels of the miRNAs was performed by qRT-PCR for all participants. The BDNF level was measured by ELISA. The lowest scores on the IQ subtest were knowledge and working memory. No discrepancies were noticed between the receptive and expressive language ages. The highest scores on the Conner's scale were those for cognitive problems. Participants with ADHD exhibited higher plasma BDNF levels compared to controls (p = 0.0003). Expression patterns of only miR-34c-3p and miR-138-1 were downregulated with significant statistical differences (p˂0.01). However, expression levels of miR-296-5p showed negative correlation with the total scores of IQ (p = 0.03). MiR-34c-3p, miR-138-1, while BDNF showed good diagnostic potential. The downregulated levels of miR-34c-3p and miR-138-1, together with high BDNF levels, are suggested to be involved in the etiology of ADHD in Egyptian children. Gender differences influenced the expression patterns of miRNAs only in children with ADHD.

Serum levels of IL-9 and IL-11 serve as predictors for the occurrence of early neurologic deterioration in patients with cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Early neurological deterioration (END) is a common complication of cerebral infarction and a significant contributor to poor prognosis. Our study aimed to investigate the predictive value of interleukin-9 (IL-9) and interleukin-11 (IL-11) in relation to the occurrence of END in patients with cerebral infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 102 patients with cerebral infarction and 64 healthy controls were collected. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the development of END following admission: the END group (n = 44) and the non-END group (n = 58). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the serum levels of IL-9, IL-11, and BDNF. RESULTS: Serum IL-9 was higher and IL-11 lower in the END group than those in the non-END group (P < 0.01). IL-9 correlated positively with NIHSS score (r = 0.627) and infarction volume (r = 0.686), while IL-11 correlated negatively (r = -0.613, -0.679, respectively). Logistic regression identified age, NIHSS score, and IL-9 as risk factors (P < 0.01), and IL-11 as protective (P < 0.01). Combined IL-9 and IL-11 had an ROC curve area of 0.849. BDNF correlated negatively with IL-9 (r = -0.703) and positively with IL-11 (r = 0.711). CONCLUSION: Serum IL-9 and IL-11 levels can predict the occurrence of END in patient with cerebral infarction and are correlated with serum BDNF levels.

Can neurocognition, brain neurotrophic factor, triglyceride, and total cholesterol predict suicidal ideation in first-episode Han Chinese patients with schizophrenia?

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have suggested that the suicide rate of patients with schizophrenia is high. This study investigates factors influencing suicidal ideation in first-episode schizophrenia patients, focusing on cognitive function, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 123 patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 38 healthy controls were included in the study. The patients were divided into suicidal and nonsuicidal ideation groups based on the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, and they were assessed with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognitive function was assessed using the Chinese version of the MATRICS consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) and the serum BDNF, TG, and TC were detected. The main statistical methods include t-test, χ2 test, multivariate logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and the DeLong test. RESULTS: 26.02% of patients exhibited suicidal ideation. Higher PANSS and TC levels were risk factors, while higher MCCB scores and BDNF levels were protective factors. ROC analysis indicated AUCs of 0.630, 0.724, and 0.762 for serum BDNF, PANSS, and MCCB, respectively, with a combined AUC of 0.870. CONCLUSION: Serum BDNF level, PANSS score, and MCCB score can be used as auxiliary predictors of suicidal ideation in schizophrenic patients. Combining these three indicators can effectively predict suicidal ideation in schizophrenic patients.

Predictive value of S100B and brain derived neurotrophic factor for radiofrequency treatment of lumbar disc prolapse.

BACKGROUND: This work aimed to analyze serum S100B levels and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with lumbar disc prolapse to test their predictive values concerning the therapeutic efficacy of pulsed radiofrequency. METHODS: This prospective interventional study was carried out on 50 patients candidates for radiofrequency for treating symptomatic lumbar disc prolapse. Pain severity and functional disability were assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and Functional rating index (FRI) before as well as two weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months after the radiofrequency. Quantitative assessment of serum S100B level and BDNF was done for all the included patients one day before radiofrequency. RESULTS: The scores of NRS and FRI were significantly improved at two weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months following radiofrequency (P-value < 0.001 in all comparisons). Statistically significant positive correlations were found between duration of pain, NRS, and S100B serum level before radiofrequency, and both NRS (P-value = 0.001, 0.035, < 0.001 respectively) and FRI (P-value = < 0.001, 0.009, 0.001 respectively) 6 months following radiofrequency. Whereas there were statistically significant negative correlations between BDNF serum level before radiofrequency and both NRS and FRI 6 months following radiofrequency (P-value = 0.022, 0.041 respectively). NRS and S100B serum levels before radiofrequency were found to be independent predictors of NRS 6 months following radiofrequency (P-value = 0.040. <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Serum level of S100B is a promising biomarker that can predict functional outcomes after pulsed radiofrequency in patients with lumbar disc prolapse.

[Associations of serum neuromarkers with clinical features of Parkinson's disease]. / Assotsiatsii syvorotochnykh neiromarkerov s klinicheskimi osobennostyami bolezni Parkinsona.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and laboratory correlation of biomarkers with anti- and pro-apoptotic activity with the severity of motor and non-motor symptoms depending on the progression rate of Parkinson's disease (PD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A wide range of non-motor symptoms (emotional-affective, cognitive, psychotic and behavioral disorders, fatigue, sleep disorders and autonomic disorders) was evaluated using validated scales and a number of serum neuromarkers responsible for neuroplasticity and neuronal survival processes (BDNF, PDGF, cathepsin D) in 71 patients with PD (mean age 65 (55; 70) years, disease duration 7 (4; 9) years, age of onset 57 (49; 62) years). RESULTS: The concentration of biomarkers (BDNF, PDGF and cathepsin D) was the lowest in the group of patients with a rapid PD progression rate (p<0.001, p=0.001 and p=0.031, respectively), the severity of motor and most non-motor symptoms was higher (p=0.023 and p=0.001, respectively) compared to middle and slow progression rate. There were correlations between BDNF concentration and the severity of depression (r=-0.63, p<0.001), apathy (r=-0.48, p<0.001), impulsive behavioral disorders (r=0.500, p<0.001), level of cognitive functions (r=0.54, p<0.001), motor symptoms (r=-0.43, p<0.001); between PDGF level and the severity of motor manifestations of PD (r=-0.30, p=0.011), depression (r=-0.70, p<0.001), apathy (r=-0.460, p<0.001), the degree of severity of behavioral disorders (r=0.742, p<0.001). No significant correlations were observed between the level of cathepsin D and the severity of clinical manifestations of PD, which indicates the connection of cathepsin D with the general pathogenesis of PD. CONCLUSION: The possibility of using serum proteins of the neurotrophin subfamily and the protein associated with autophagy, cathepsin D, as biomarkers that determine the prognosis of PD, is considered.

Cognitive dysfunction, depression and serum level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in Egyptian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

AIM OF THE WORK: To evaluate serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in Egyptian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its relation with cognitive dysfunction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 60 RA patients; 30 were active (group A) and 30 were non active (group B); and 30 controls (group C). RA disease activity was assessed via DAS28 tool, cognitive function via The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and depression via the PHQ depression scale. Serum BDNF levels were measured. RESULTS: The mean age in group A was 37.8 (±9.37) years with 83.3% females, in group B was 39.97 (±8.04) years with 86.7% females and in group C was 33.17 (±3.6) years with 93.3% females. Abnormal cognitive functions test was detected in 66.7% of group A, 66.7% of group B, and in 23.3% of group C. There was a statistically significant difference in BDNF serum level between both groups of patients (1.58±0.9ng/ml for group A, 1.81±1.17ng/ml for group B) compared with the control group (3.01±1.25ng/ml, p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between BDNF and both disease duration and cognitive function, also no statistically significant difference regarding cognitive function, depression, and BNDF levels in patients with and without fibromyalgia. At a cut-off value of <2ng/ml, BDNF detected RA patients with cognitive dysfunction with a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 96.67%. CONCLUSION: BDNF can be a potential biomarker of cognitive dysfunction in RA patients.

How does maternal anemia affect the levels of umbilical cord brain-derived neurotrophic factor?

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of maternal iron deficiency anemia on the umbilical cord level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays a very important role in the central nervous system. METHODS: Our research was planned as a quantitative, prospective, and analytical type of study. A total of 90 volunteers, term, singleton pregnant hospitalized in the Health Sciences University Ümraniye Training and Research Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic between September 2021 and August 2022 were included in this study. While 45 of these pregnants were pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia (hemoglobin ≤ 110 g/L and serum ferritin level ≤ 12 µg/L), 45 cases were in the control group without iron deficiency anemia (hemoglobin > 110 g/L, serum ferritin > 12 µg/L). When pregnant were admitted to the hospital, blood samples were taken to analyze hemoglobin, mean cell volume (MCV), iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, total iron binding capacity, serum ferritin, transferrin, and CRP levels. Also, we noted the maternal age, gravida, parity, birth weight, head circumference, type of birth, 1. minute Apgar score, and 5. minute Apgar score. During the delivery; after the umbilical cord had been clamped and cut, we took 5 cc of umbilical cord blood. Then, we put it in the serum-separating laboratory tubes. After we centrifuged these blood samples, we put the serum parts in the Eppendorf tubes to be stored at -80 degrees Celsius. At the end of the study, we calculated the level of BDNF using special human brain-derived neurotrophic factor ELISA kits. The umbilical cord BDNF levels of the maternal iron deficiency anemia group and the control group were compared statistically. RESULTS: When we evaluated the fetal umbilical cord BDNF values of 90 participants, the median value BDNF in the babies of 45 anemic mothers was 3.16 (IQR 0.73), and the median BDNF value of the babies of 45 healthy mothers was 5.37 (IQR 1.02). We found a statistical difference between BDNF and hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, and iron values between these two groups. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the BDNF value of the babies of healthy individuals is higher than that of anemic individuals. Our study showed that the amount of BDNF in the umbilical cord blood was significantly affected by maternal iron deficiency anemia.

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and its association with cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with healthy controls (HC) and evaluate the BDNF levels in T2DM patients with/without cognitive impairment. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for the published English literature on BDNF in T2DM patients from inception to December 2022. The BDNF data in the T2DM and HC groups were extracted, and the study quality was evaluated using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A meta-analysis of the pooled data was conducted using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 12.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 18 English articles fulfilled with inclusion criteria. The standard mean difference of the serum BDNF level was significantly lower in T2DM than that in the HC group (SMD: -2.04, z = 11.19, P <0.001). Besides, T2DM cognitive impairment group had a slightly lower serum BDNF level compared to the non-cognitive impairment group (SMD: -2.59, z = 1.87, P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: BDNF might be involved in the neuropathophysiology of cerebral damage in T2DM, especially cognitive impairment in T2DM.

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor level and its relation with cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia: A cross-sectional exploratory study in patients at a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has considerable relevance in neural growth and differentiation. It has been evaluated as a biomarker for individuals with various psychiatric disorders such as substance-related disorders and psychotic disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study explored differences in the levels of BDNF (in serum) among subjects using cannabis (with and without schizophrenia). METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study compared the serum BDNF level in male subjects aged 18-45 years. Four groups of 20 subjects each were included: individuals with tobacco use disorder only, patients having schizophrenia, patients with cannabis use disorder, and finally patients with comorbid cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia. RESULTS: The BDNF levels were found to be significantly different across the four groups. The BDNF levels in subjects with concurrent schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder were higher than each of the other three groups (cannabis use disorder, schizophrenia, and tobacco use disorder only). CONCLUSION: We find that BDNF may be higher when cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia co-occur, as compared to either of the conditions alone. The findings should be interpreted with caution due to the low sample size and potential confounders.

Effects of esketamine on postoperative negative emotions and early cognitive disorders in patients undergoing non-cardiac thoracic surgery: A randomized controlled trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a single dosage of esketamine injection in the anesthesia period could improve postoperative negative emotions and early cognitive function in patients undergoing non-cardiac thoracic surgery. DESIGN: A prospective single center double blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Perioperative period; operating room, post anesthesia care unit and hospital ward. PATIENTS: 129 adult patients that underwent elective non-cardiac thoracic surgery under general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: During the operation, pharmacologic prevention of postoperative negative emotion and early cognitive disorder with 0.2 mg/kg (Low esketamine group) and 0.5 mg/kg esketamine (High esketamine group) vs. placebo. MEASUREMENTS: Emotion and early cognitive performance were assessed on the day before surgery (POD-1), postoperative day 1 (POD1) and day 3 (POD3) using HADS-A, HADS-D, Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and serum biomarkers (S100ß, BDNF, IL-6, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine). MAIN RESULTS: The high esketamine group showed significantly lower HADS-A and HADS-D scores than control group on POD1 and POD3. No significant differences were observed between the low esketamine group and the control group. The esketamine-treated groups showed lower pain VAS scores than the control group at 2 h and on the first day after operation. There were no significant differences among the three groups in CAM and MMSE scores. However, the high esketamine group had lower S100ß and IL-6 levels, and higher BDNF levels postoperatively, while serum acetylcholine and norepinephrine were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: A single intraoperative injection of 0.5 mg/kg esketamine can alleviate postoperative anxiety, depression, and pain to some extent. Although cognitive function behavioral evaluation did not show obvious benefits, it can also reduce the production of pro-inflammatory and brain injury-related factors while promoting the generation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Registration Trial registry: http://www.chictr.org.cn/; Identifier: ChiCTR2100047067.

Correlation of fetal heart rate dynamics to inflammatory markers and brain-derived neurotrophic factor during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to show the relation between biomarkers in maternal and cord-blood samples and fetal heart rate variability (fHRV) metrics through a non-invasive fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) technique. METHODS: Twenty-three women were enrolled for collection of maternal serum and fMCG tracings immediately prior to their scheduled cesarean delivery. The umbilical cord blood was collected for measurement of biomarker levels. The fMCG metrics were then correlated to the biomarker levels from the maternal serum and cord blood. RESULTS: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) had a moderate correlation with fetal parasympathetic activity (0.416) and fetal sympathovagal ratios (-0.309; -0.356). Interleukin (IL)-6 also had moderate-sized correlations but with an inverse relationship as compared to BDNF. These correlations were primarily in cord-blood samples and not in the maternal blood. CONCLUSIONS: In this small sample-sized exploratory study, we observed a moderate correlation between fHRV and cord-blood BDNF and IL-6 immediately preceding scheduled cesarean delivery at term. These findings need to be validated in a larger population.

[The relationship between the rs6265 polymorphism of the BDNF gene and the level of serum neurotrophic factor in patients with Parkinson's disease]. / Svyaz' polimorfizma rs6265 gena BDNF s urovnem syvorotochnogo neirotroficheskogo faktora u patsientov s bolezn'yu Parkinsona.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical features and the level of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in groups of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) differentiated by the genotypes of BDNF polymorphism (rs6265). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The level of serum BDNF in the biomarkers' multiplex panel of neurodegenerative diseases (HNDG3MAG-36K) was assessed in 134 PD patients. Allele discrimination was carried out by real-time PCR using TaqMan probes for the analysis of BDNF rs6265 polymorphism in groups of patients and controls (n=192) matched for sex, age and ethnicity. RESULTS: Comparing the distribution of rs6265 genotypes and alleles between groups of patients and controls no significant differences were found (p>0.05). Serum BDNF levels varied significantly by genotype (rs6265) among PD patients. Minimum mean serum BDNF level (320.1±164.6 pg/ml) was noted for individuals with the AA genotype, which significantly differs from the corresponding indicator among individuals with GA (2944.2±1590.6 pg/ml; p=0.0001) and GG genotypes (2949.4±1620.6 pg/ml; p=3.9×10-5). The concentration of BDNF significantly differed between patients with different forms of PD (p=0.0007) and increased as the stage of the disease progressed according to Hoehn and Yahr staging scale (p=1.0×10-6). CONCLUSION: The BDNF rs6265 polymorphism was not associated with the development of PD in the studied population. The variability of the mean serum BDNF level was established depending on the genotype of the BDNF polymorphism in PD patients and a number of clinical features.

Brain-Derived neurotrophic factor and inflammatory biomarkers are unaffected by acute and chronic intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic exposure in geriatric patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Animal and human studies have shown that exposure to hypoxia can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein transcription and reduce systematic inflammatory cytokine response. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the acute and chronic effects of intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic exposure (IHHE) prior to aerobic exercise on BDNF, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) blood levels in geriatric patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five geriatric patients (83.1 ± 5.0 yrs, 71.1 ± 10.0 kg, 1.8 ± 0.9 m) participated in a placebo-controlled, single-blinded trial and were randomly assigned to either an intervention (IG) or control group (CG) performing an aerobic cycling training (17 sessions, 20 min·session-1, 3 sessions·week-1). Prior to aerobic cycling exercise, the IG was additionally exposed to IHHE for 30 min, whereas the CG received continuous normoxic air. Blood samples were taken immediately before (pre-exercise) and 10 min (post-exercise) after the first session as well as 48 h (post-training) after the last session to determine serum (BDNFS) and plasma BDNF (BDNFP), IL-6, and CRP levels. Intervention effects were analyzed using a 2 x 2 analysis of covariance with repeated measures. Results were interpreted based on effect sizes with a medium effect considered as meaningful (ηp2 ≥ 0.06, d ≥ 0.5). RESULTS: CRP was moderately higher (d = 0.51) in the CG compared to the IG at baseline. IHHE had no acute effect on BDNFS (ηp2 = 0.01), BDNFP (ηp2 < 0.01), BDNF serum/plasma-ratio (ηp2 < 0.01), IL-6 (ηp2 < 0.01), or CRP (ηp2 = 0.04). After the 6-week intervention, an interaction was found for BDNF serum/plasma-ratio (ηp2 = 0.06) but not for BDNFS (ηp2 = 0.04), BDNFP (ηp2 < 0.01), IL-6 (ηp2 < 0.01), or CRP (ηp2 < 0.01). BDNF serum/plasma-ratio increased from pre-exercise to post-training (d = 0.67) in the CG compared to the IG (d = 0.51). A main effect of time was found for BDNFP (ηp2 = 0.09) but not for BDNFS (ηp2 = 0.02). Within-group post-hoc analyses revealed a training-related reduction in BDNFP in the IG and CG by 46.1% (d = 0.73) and 24.7% (d = 0.57), respectively. CONCLUSION: The addition of 30 min IHHE prior to 20 min aerobic cycling seems not to be effective to increase BDNFS and BDNFP or to reduce IL-6 and CRP levels in geriatric patients after a 6-week intervention.The study was retrospectively registered at drks.de (DRKS-ID: DRKS00025130).

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in First-Episode and Recurrent Major Depression and before and after Bright Light Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in the etiology and treatment response in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, peripheral BDNF concentrations have not been compared across different MDD stages. Bright light therapy (BLT) offers some potential in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but its effects on BDNF levels are unknown. This study included a cross-sectional analysis of plasma BDNF concentration in females with TRD, unmedicated MDD patients, and healthy controls (HC), and measurements of longitudinal BLT effects on plasma BDNF levels in TRD patients. The present study included 55 drug-naïve, first-episode patients, 25 drug-free recurrent-episode MDD patients, 71 HC participants, and 54 TRD patients. Patients were rated by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD)-17 and the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Patients with TRD received BLT during 4 weeks. The total HAMD-17 and MADRS scores decreased following BLT. All patient groups had lower plasma BDNF than HC, but BDNF levels did not differ between first- and recurrent-episode BDNF patients and TRD patients before or after BLT. However, responders and remitters to BLT had higher post-treatment plasma BDNF concentrations than patients who did not achieve response or remission. The changes in plasma BDNF levels may be candidates for biomarkers of treatment response to BLT in TRD patients.