The association between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and emotional symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury

Abstract

BackgroundBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the most abundant neurotrophins in the adult brain, and it plays important roles in modulating synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis. This study attempted to elucidate the role of the BDNF variant rs6265 in emotional symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).MethodsTo investigate the association between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) and emotional symptoms in mTBI patients, we recruited 192 mTBI patients and evaluated their Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores in the first and sixth week after mTBI.ResultsThe patients carrying the T allele of rs6265 had significantly higher BAI scores in the first week following mTBI. In addition, the patients carrying the T allele also showed higher scores of BDI in the first week. In the gender-specific subgroup analysis, the male patients carrying the T allele of rs6265 had higher scores of both BAI and BDI in the first and sixth week. Meanwhile, female patients carrying the T allele also had significantly higher scores of BDI in the first week following mTBI.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence for the association between the BDNF variant rs6265 and emotional symptoms following mTBI.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12881-017-0518-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Hormonal Changes Among Nigerian Women With Epilepsy

“…More clinical data are emerging that estrogen may have no proconvulsant or even anticonvulsant effects, even though it is commonly accepted that estrogen affects neuronal excitability and thus may mediate pro-convulsant effects (Preux & Druet-Cabanac 2005). The pro-convulsant effect of estrogen has been linked to modulation of gene expression, direct interaction with neurotransmitter receptors and release and induction of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) which potentiates excitatory glutaminergic pathway in the hippocampus and elevation in seizure frequency, particularly after estradiol surge during periovulatory catamenial epilepsy (Scharfman & MacLusky 2006,Sohrabji et al 1995, Wang et al, 2018. However, estrogen also closely relate to endogenous molecules like NPY with seizure protecting property.…”

The Influence of the Val66Met Polymorphism of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor on Neurological Function after Traumatic Brain Injury

“…On the other hand, tests of mood conducted at 1 and 6 weeks post-injury in another cohort of patients with mild TBI found more depression and anxiety in Met carriers. The effect on depression was modulated by gender, being significant at both time points in males but only at the first time point in females [57]. Mild TBI increased depressive rumination and reduced cognitive flexibility among Met carriers but not among Val/Val homozygotes.…”

BDNF Val66Met Positive Players Demonstrate Diffusion Tensor Imaging Consistent With Impaired Myelination Associated With High Levels of Soccer Heading: Indication of a Potential Gene-Environment Interaction Mechanism

“…The BDNFVal 66 Met polymorphism represents a substitution of valine to methionine in the BDNF pro-peptide, which decreases secretion of BDNF into the synapse (18). Recent studies have demonstrated that presence of the Met allele is associated with impaired cognition (21) and more emotional symptoms (22) in mild TBI patients.…”