Exercise elevates serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in partially remitted depression

Benedikt Alexander Kramer; Anna Jaehn; Thea Marianne Grützner; Natalie Sarah Hess; Amanda Bellanti; Lena Listunova; Rainer Hellweg; Matthias Weisbrod; Daniela Roesch Ely

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115283

Exercise elevates serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in partially remitted depression

Psychiatry Res. 2023 Aug:326:115283. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115283. Epub 2023 Jun 3.

Authors

Benedikt Alexander Kramer¹, Anna Jaehn², Thea Marianne Grützner², Natalie Sarah Hess², Amanda Bellanti², Lena Listunova², Rainer Hellweg³, Matthias Weisbrod⁴, Daniela Roesch Ely²

Affiliations

¹ Research Group Neurocognition, Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, Heidelberg 69115, Germany. Electronic address: benediktalexander.kramer@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
² Research Group Neurocognition, Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, Heidelberg 69115, Germany.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and the Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Research Group Neurocognition, Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, Heidelberg 69115, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, SRH Hospital Karlsbad-Langensteinbach, Guttmannstraße 1, Karlsbad 76307, Germany.

PMID: 37285622
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115283

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a pleiotropic cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). In MDD, serum BDNF levels are attenuated. Healthy adults show BDNF elevation after exercise. To investigate activity-dependent BDNF elevation in MDD, thirty-seven participants with partially remitted MDD were allocated to either a bout of strenuous or light activity. Serum was collected before and after the intervention. BDNF was measured using a highly sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Significant BDNF elevation in the strenuous activity group emerged. This study confirms exercise-dependent serum BDNF elevation in MDD. Preregistration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS0001515).

Keywords: Biomarkers; Blood serum; Physical activity.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adult
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Depression
Depressive Disorder, Major*
Exercise
Exercise Therapy
Humans

Substances

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Associated data

DRKS/DRKS0001515