BDNF Serum Levels are Associated With White Matter Microstructure in Schizophrenia - A Pilot Study
Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 11, pp. 31
Abstract
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. As BDNF regulates axonal and dendritic growth, altered BDNF levels in schizophrenia patients might underlie changes in structural connectivity that have been identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We investigated a possible correlation between BDNF serum levels, fiber tract architecture, and regional grey matter volumes in 19 schizophrenia patients and a gender- and age-matched control group. Two patients had to be excluded due to abnormalities in their MRI scans. Serum samples were obtained to determine BDNF levels, and T1- as well as diffusion-weighted sequences were acquired. We, then, investigated correlations between BDNF serum levels with neuroimaging parameters, using Voxel-based Morphometry (VBM) and Tract-based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). We found a significant negative correlation between BDNF serum levels and FA values in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. These regions also showed a decrease in AD values in schizophrenia patients. Grey matter volumes were reduced in patients but there was no correlation between regional grey matter volumes and BDNF. The right superior longitudinal fasciculus has been repeatedly identified to exhibit microstructural changes in schizophrenia patients. Our findings of a negative correlation between BDNF and FA values in patients might indicate that BDNF is upregulated to compensate decreased structural connectivity as it induces neural plasticity and shows increased levels in damaged tissue. These findings of our pilot study are encouraging leads for future research in larger samples.
Authors 10
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Christine Hammans corresponding Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Faculty of Medicine
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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Kristina Neugebauer Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Faculty of Medicine
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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Melanie A. Sternkopf Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Faculty of Medicine
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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Ana M. Novakovic Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Faculty of Medicine
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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Tobias Wensing Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Faculty of Medicine
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, United States
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Thomas K. Nickl-Jockschat Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Faculty of Medicine
University of Iowa · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, United States
Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, United States
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Germany
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