Longitudinal Changes in Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Accident Survivors with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

Background: This prospective cohort study investigated the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which mediates synaptic plasticity crucial for fear memory extinction, in patients severely injured in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). Method: A nested, case-controlled study was conducted with 103 MVA survivors: 8 medication-naïve patients who met the criteria for full diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 6 months after MVA, 10 medication-naïve patients with partial PTSD and 85 patients with no PTSD. PTSD was evaluated by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Serum BDNF levels were measured shortly after the MVA (baseline) and at 6-month follow-up. Results: Posttrauma serum BDNF levels differed between the 3 groups after controlling for age and sex (F = 3.41, p = 0.04), with unexpectedly higher serum BDNF levels seen in the full-PTSD group compared with the no-PTSD group. Additional analysis of patients with serum samples taken at baseline and at 6 months revealed the full-PTSD group had significantly higher serum BDNF levels over the 6 months than the no-PTSD group after controlling for age and sex (F = 6.44, p < 0.01). A positive correlation was seen between changes in serum BDNF levels over 6 months and the CAPS score at 6 months (r = 0.26, p = 0.014). Conclusions: The findings of this study, the first to report longitudinal serum BDNF levels in MVA survivors, suggest that elevated serum BDNF levels could be a biomarker of PTSD after a traumatic event.

Anxiolytic effects of ketamine in animal models of posttraumatic stress disorder

“…A growing body of evidence suggests that BDNF might mediate the pathophysiology of mood disorders, including PTSD. A recent study has demonstrated significantly lower plasma BDNF levels in PTSD patients compared to healthy control subjects (Felmingham et al 2013;Matsuoka et al 2013). In addition, sub-chronic ketamine administration has been shown to alter the expression of mRNAs for BDNF in the rat brain (Broekman et al 2007;Duman and Monteggia 2006;Lommatzsch et al 2005).…”

Serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and mental disorders in imprisoned women

“…The authors concluded that elevated serum BDNF levels could be a biomarker of PTSD after a traumatic event. 17 Another recent study did not find any difference in BDNF levels between a partial PTSD group and a healthy control group. However, decreased BDNF levels were found in subjects with full PTSD, which suggests that the increase in BDNF levels in partial PTSD patients may be acting as a mechanism of neuroprotection against full PTSD.…”

“…To date, only six studies with different designs were published on the association between PTSD and BDNF levels in clinical samples, showing contradictory results. Only one prospective cohort study, of 103 patients severely injured in motor vehicle accidents, 17 found significantly higher BDNF levels over a 6-month followup period in the PTSD group after controlling for age and sex. The authors concluded that elevated serum BDNF levels could be a biomarker of PTSD after a traumatic event.…”

“…[12][13][14] In another study, 15 no association was found between changes in BDNF and PTSD, yet among the different traumatic events surveyed, sexual abuse had the strongest effect on reducing BDNF levels. Conversely, Hauck et al 16 and Matsuoka et al 17 showed that patients with recent trauma and PTSD had higher concentrations of BDNF. These authors, supported by research findings in animal models, argue for the hypothesis that an increase in serum BDNF levels in the early stages of trauma acts as a compensatory mechanism.…”

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): A Narrative Review

“…In patients with PTSD, peripheral BDNF levels were decreased in patients with different types of non-combat related trauma (Dell'Osso et al 2009) and L'Aquilla earthquake survivors, unchanged in subjects with traffic accidents (Su et al 2015, van den Heuvel et al 2016), and even increased in subjects severely injured in motor vehicle accidents (Matsuoka et al 2013) and with nonspecified trauma (Hauck et al 2010). It was also reported that BDNF is higher early after trauma, and decreases thereafter (Hauck et al 2010).…”