Low BDNF levels in serum are associated with cognitive impairments in medication-naïve patients with current depressive episode in BD II and MDD

Ziwei Teng; Lu Wang; Sujuan Li; Yuxi Tan; Yan Qiu; Chujun Wu; Kun Jin; Jindong Chen; Jing Huang; Hui Tang; Hui Xiang; Bolun Wang; Hui Yuan; Haishan Wu

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.018

Low BDNF levels in serum are associated with cognitive impairments in medication-naïve patients with current depressive episode in BD II and MDD

J Affect Disord. 2021 Oct 1:293:90-96. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.018. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

Authors

Ziwei Teng¹, Lu Wang¹, Sujuan Li¹, Yuxi Tan¹, Yan Qiu¹, Chujun Wu¹, Kun Jin¹, Jindong Chen¹, Jing Huang¹, Hui Tang¹, Hui Xiang¹, Bolun Wang², Hui Yuan³, Haishan Wu⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
² Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
³ Department of Ultrasound Dltrasound Diagnosis, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China. Electronic address: yhnice@csu.edu.cn.
⁴ National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China. Electronic address: wuhaishan@csu.edu.cn.

PMID: 34175594
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.018

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the role of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in clinical and cognitive outcomes in medication-naïve patients with Bipolar type II disorder (BD II) and Major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: 45 outpatients with BD II, 40 outpatients with MDD and 40 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited, and sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. Their BDNF serum levels were measured and analyzed with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS).

Results: BDNF levels were significantly lower in BD II patients than in MDD patients and HCs (p = 0.001). BD II and MDD patients had similar cognitive performance deficits shown on Attention (p = 0.001), Delayed memory (p = 0.001), and RBANS total score (p = 0.001). BDNF levels were positively associated with Visuospatial / constructional and Stroop color-word in BD II group, and with language in MDD group. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC analysis in BD II vs. MDD was 0.664, therefore, BDNF levels could not distinguish BD II from MDD.

Conclusion: Our study showed the decreased serum BDNF in MDD and BD II patients, suggesting BDNF may be involved in the pathophysiology of MDD and BD II. BDNF and cognitive deficits are both of low efficiency in distinguishing BD II from MDD. Decrease of BDNF may potentially indicate cognitive dysfunction in BD II and MDD patients with a current depressive episode.

Keywords: Bipolar disorder; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Major depressive disorder; Neurocognitive performance.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bipolar Disorder* / complications
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Cognition Disorders*
Cognitive Dysfunction*
Depressive Disorder, Major*
Humans

Substances

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor