Effect of non‐invasive brain stimulation on behavior and serum brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 levels in autistic patients

Abstract

Aberrant neural connectivity and intra‐cortical inhibitory dysfunction are key features of autism. Non‐invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) protocols have been proposed that modulate this aberrant plasticity. However, additional investigations are needed to evaluate the impact of this intervention on biological biomarkers of the disease. We recently demonstrated alterations in serum insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) immunoreactivity in subjects with autism compared to controls. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the change in serum levels of the neurotrophic factors BDNF and IGF‐1 in patients undergoing NIBS therapy. Sixteen subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were tested 1 week before and 1 week after NIBS to determine the short‐term outcome on behavior using the total score on the autism behavior checklist, autism treatment evaluation checklist, clinical global impression severity and the autism diagnostic interview. ASD subjects younger than 11 years old (n = 11) were treated with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and those 11 years and older (n = 5) were treated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Serum levels of BDNF and IGF‐1 were evaluated by Enzyme‐Linked Immuno‐Sorbent Assay before and after the intervention with NIBS. A significant reduction in scores on the clinical behavioral scales was observed in patients treated with NIBS (ABC‐T p = .002, CGI‐S p = .008, ADI‐T and ATEC‐T p < .0001). There was a trend towards reduced serum BDNF levels after NIBS (p = .061), while there was no change in IGF‐1 levels. These data support further studies on the potential of BDNF as a biomarker to measure the effectiveness of NIBS in autism.

BDNF, proBDNF and IGF-1 serum levels in naïve and medicated subjects with autism

“…Tables 1 and 2 show the demographic data and serum measurements for subjects with autism and controls. BDNF and IGF-1 measures from many of the subjects with autism were previously published as part of an analysis of non-invasive brain stimulation effectiveness in these patients 39 .…”

“…All subjects had IQ scores within the normal range. Fifteen of the subjects with autism (Table 1 , subjects A1–A15) were included in previously published studies 38 , 39 .…”

Ectodermal origins of the skin-brain axis: a novel model for the developing brain, inflammation, and neurodevelopmental conditions

“…BDNF is an activity-dependent neurotrophin regulating synaptic plasticity and the development of cortical connections [ 27 ]. BDNF acts via the pan-neurotrophin receptor (p75 NTR ), to which all mature neurotrophins bind, or the tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), to which it shows high affinity and specificity [ 28 ].…”

Personalized treatments in neuropsychiatric disorders

“…Several articles focused on the genetics of response to an adverse reactions of medications used to treat psychiatric disorders (Maes et al, 2020; Ortega‐Vázquez et al, 2020; Rybakowski, 2020; Vorspan et al, 2021). One article investigated biological markers of response to noninvasive brain stimulation in Autistic patients (Robinson‐Agramonte et al, 2021), while two articles focused on neurodegenerative disorders, specifically on Parkinson's disease (Cacabelos et al, 2021) and multiple sclerosis (Sánchez et al, 2021). Finally, one article focused on the relevance for the pharmacology of neuropsychiatric disorders of the expression and localization of cytochrome genes in human tissues (Fanni et al, 2021).…”

“…Robinson‐Agramonte et al (2021) explored if serum levels of two neurotrophic factors, Brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and Insulin‐like growth Factor 1 (IGF1), could constitute biomarkers of response to noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) in patients with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This pilot study showed that the treatment determined an improvement in scores of clinical behavioral scales, which was associated with a slight decrease in BDNF but not IGF‐1 levels.…”