Review
Clinical Neurology
Andrea Ballesio, Andrea Zagaria, Davide Gusmeo Curti, Rosalyn Moran, Peter J. Goadsby, Ivana Rosenzweig, Caterina Lombardo
Summary: The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is considered a transdiagnostic biomarker for mental disorders and is associated with emotional and cognitive functioning. A systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies were conducted to examine the levels of peripheral BDNF in individuals with insomnia. The results showed that subjects with insomnia had lower BDNF levels compared to healthy controls. However, the interpretation of the results should be cautious due to the small sample size, cross-sectional nature of the measurement, and high heterogeneity of the included data.
SLEEP MEDICINE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Isabella Cristina de Castro Lippi, Fabiana Ribeiro Caldara, Ibiara Correia de Lima Almeida-Paz, Henrique Biasotto Morais, Agnes Markiy Odakura, Elisabete Castelon Konkiewitz, Welber Sanches Ferreira, Thiago Leite Fraga, Maria Fernanda de Castro Burbarelli, Gisele Aparecida Felix, Rodrigo Garofallo Garcia, Luan Sousa dos Santos
Summary: Environmental enrichment using music therapy can improve animal welfare, specifically in sows and their piglets. Music therapy helps to remove the sterility of the breeding environment and enhance the productive performance and neuroplasticity of the piglets.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Michal Piotrkowicz, Marlena Janoska-Jazdzik, Tytus Koweszko, Agata Szulc
Summary: Psychotherapy has been shown to lead to changes in brain structure and function, with BDNF identified as a potential research target. Limited studies indicate that BDNF concentration levels may increase after psychotherapy, but the impact of BDNF gene methylation status remains to be explored.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jessica A. Harder, Raina N. Fichorova, Akanksha Srivastava, Aleta Wiley, Katherine E. Burdick, Joseph J. Locascio, Hadine Joffe
Summary: This study found that BDNF levels are positively correlated with the severity of mood symptoms in women with perimenopausal depression symptoms, resembling the pattern seen in hormonally-sensitive PMDD. This suggests the presence of a hormonally-sensitive mood disorder biomarker profile distinct from that of major depression.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Younjung Lee, Kye-Hyun Kim, Bun-Hee Lee, Yong-Ku Kim
Summary: The study found that pregnancy and postpartum depression can affect BDNF concentration, and the BDNF concentration in the postpartum depression-recovery group significantly increased at 6 weeks postpartum.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Review
Biology
Massimo Fioranelli, Maria Grazia Roccia, Bianca Przybylek, Maria Luisa Garo
Summary: This systematic review examines the bidirectional relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression, with a focus on the potential role of low serum BDNF levels in the development of either disease in the presence of the other. The results suggest a strong association between low serum BDNF levels and the risk of post-stroke depression, but there is limited research on altered serum BDNF levels and other types of CVD, therefore the inverse association between depression and CVD cannot be proven.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Mosiolek, Magdalena Pietrzak, Maria Tabisz, Wiktoria Wojtaszek, Michalina Zabielska, Agnieszka Ostrowska, Pawel Szwed, Jadwiga Mosiolek, Agata Szulc
Summary: This systematic review evaluates the effect of broadly defined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in psychiatric patients. Ten randomized-controlled trials were included, and the results suggest that BDNF levels may be considered as an indicator of cognitive function outcomes in psychotherapy, but no correlation was observed for mindfulness-based practices aimed at reducing stress or improving quality of life.
Article
Cell Biology
Dipan C. Patel, Emily G. Thompson, Harald Sontheimer
Summary: Brain inflammation caused by viral infection is a major cause of epilepsy and often resistant to anti-seizure drugs. This study found that BDNF signaling may contribute to viral-induced epilepsy. Using a mouse model, the researchers observed increased levels of BDNF during acute seizures and reduced expression of KCC2 in the hippocampus. Inhibiting BDNF normalized the level of KCC2 and restored GABA-mediated inhibition. Alternative strategies for controlling BDNF signaling could be beneficial in preventing seizure generation and epilepsy development.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
L. M. C. Puhlmann, R. Linz, S. L. Valk, P. Vrticka, R. Vos de Wael, A. Bernasconi, N. Bernasconi, B. Caldairou, I Papassotiriou, G. P. Chrousos, B. C. Bernhardt, T. Singer, V Engert
Summary: The study found no significant relationship between serum BDNF levels and hippocampal structure volumes in healthy middle-aged adults, and age does not moderate this relationship.
Review
Neurosciences
Gianmarco De Felice, Mario Luciano, Alessia Boiano, Giulia Colangelo, Pierluigi Catapano, Bianca Della Rocca, Maria Vita Lapadula, Elena Piegari, Claudia Toni, Andrea Fiorillo
Summary: This review examines the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in bipolar disorder (BD) and investigates its potential as a biomarker for BD. The results show a decrease in circulating levels of BDNF during acute phases of BD compared to healthy controls, which increase after effective therapy. The Val66Met polymorphism is associated with features typically linked to worse outcomes. While more research is needed, BDNF appears to be a promising biomarker for BD.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elena Chiavacci, Sara Bagnoli, Alessandro Cellerino, Eva Terzibasi Tozzini
Summary: Neurotrophins play a crucial role in the differentiation, survival, neurite outgrowth, and plasticity of neurons. Abnormal neurotrophin-signaling is associated with neuropathies, neurodegenerative disorders, and age-related cognitive decline. BDNF is the most highly expressed neurotrophin in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ivana Vecurkovska, Jana Maslankova, Vladimira Tomeckova, Jana Kat'uchova, Terezia Kiskova, Lucia Frohlichova, Maria Marekova, Marek Stupak
Summary: The determination of the tissue BDNF/MMP-9 ratio can be used as a prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer. This ratio significantly decreases with the progression of the disease in living patients, but shows an opposite trend in deceased individuals. Lower BDNF/MMP-9 ratio levels may predict favorable prognosis in patients.
Article
Neurosciences
Madhusmita P. Sahu, Yago Pazos-Boubeta, Anna Steinzeig, Katja Kaurinkoski, Michela Palmisano, Olgierd Borowecki, Timo Petteri Piepponen, Eero Castren
Summary: Deleting the BDNF receptor TrkB from serotonergic neurons in the adult brain leads to increased levels of 5-HT and Tph2, with abnormal behavioral phenotype in transgenic mice. Despite increased food intake, the transgenic mice are significantly leaner than their wildtype littermates, possibly due to increased metabolic activity. Increased 5-HT levels are associated with significantly increased proliferation of hippocampal progenitors, while long-term survival of newborn cells remains unchanged.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Johannes Hoch, Niklas Burkhard, Shanshan Zhang, Marina Rieder, Timoteo Marchini, Vincent Geest, Krystin Krauel, Timm Zahn, Nicolas Schommer, Muataz Ali Hamad, Carolina Bauer, Nadine Gauchel, Daniela Stallmann, Claus Normann, Dennis Wolf, Ruediger Eberhard Scharf, Daniel Duerschmied, Nancy Schanze
Summary: This study found that deficiency of the serotonin transporter (SERT) is associated with metabolic derangements in mice. High-fat diet feeding in SERT-deficient mice resulted in enhanced insulin resistance, liver steatosis, and adipose tissue inflammation. These findings suggest that SERT deficiency may contribute to altered inflammatory processes.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
James Ousey, Joseph C. Boktor, Sarkis K. Mazmanian
Summary: This study explores the influence of gut microbiota on the consumption of palatable foods, finding that the absence of gut bacteria leads to overconsumption of tasty foods and increased motivation for high-sucrose rewards in mice. Certain types of gut bacteria are able to suppress overconsumption, highlighting the significant impact of gut microbiota on behavioral responses in mice.
Article
Neurosciences
Luisa Kress, Nadine Egenolf, Claudia Sommer, Nurcan Uceyler
Summary: This study found higher gene expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-2, IL-8, and TNF in white blood cells of patients with SFN compared to healthy controls. The combination of these three cytokines had high diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, female patients showed higher gene expression levels of IL-8 and TNF. IL-2 gene expression was negatively correlated with current pain intensity, and IL-10 gene expression differed between different types of pain.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Luise Appeltshauser, Helena Junghof, Julia Messinger, Janis Linke, Axel Haarmann, Ilya Ayzenberg, Panoraia Baka, Johannes Dorst, Anna L. Fisse, Thomas Grueter, Valerie Hauschildt, Alexander Joerk, Frank Leypoldt, Mathias Maeurer, Edgar Meinl, Sebastian Michels, Jeremias Motte, Kalliopi Pitarokoili, Mark Stettner, Carmen Villmann, Marc Weihrauch, Gabriel S. Welte, Inga Zerr, Katrin G. Heinze, Claudia Sommer, Kathrin Doppler
Summary: Autoimmune neuropathy associated with antibodies against pan-neurofascin is a new subtype of nodo-paranodopathy that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The underlying pathology and long-term prognosis of this condition are not well understood. Understanding the pathogenic mechanism of this disease may have direct implications for its treatment.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marie Madlener, Christine Strippel, Franziska S. Thaler, Kathrin Doppler, Klaus P. Wandinger, Jan Lewerenz, Marius Ringelstein, Rosa Roessling, Til Menge, Jonathan Wickel, Christoph Kellingshaus, Sigrid Mues, Andrea Kraft, Andreas Linsa, Simone C. Tauber, Florian Then Berg, Stefan T. Gerner, Asterios Paliantonis, Alexander Finke, Josef Priller, Ingo Schirotzek, Marie Suesse, Kurt W. Suehs, Christian Urbanek, Makbule Senel, Claudia Sommer, Tania Kuempfel, Harald Pruess, Gereon R. Fink, Frank Leypoldt, Nico Melzer, Michael P. Malter
Summary: This study investigated 101 patients with suspected autoimmune neurological syndromes (AINS) associated with glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies. The results showed that immunotherapy had moderate effectiveness in these patients, and serum GAD antibody levels and intrathecal GAD antibody synthesis did not predict clinical characteristics or treatment outcomes.
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jonas Muentze, Kolja Lau, Markus Cybulla, Eva Brand, Tereza Cairns, Lora Lorenz, Nurcan Ueceyler, Claudia Sommer, Christoph Wanner, Peter Nordbeck
Summary: This study investigated therapy adherence and patient-reported outcomes in Fabry disease patients receiving migalastat treatment. The results showed that almost all patients demonstrated high therapy adherence, and there was improvement in pain and physical limitations during the treatment.
MOLECULAR GENETICS AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Letter
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Caroline Morbach, Aikaterini Papagianni, Sandra Ihne-Schubert, Vladimir Cejka, Maximilian Steinhardt, Georg Fette, Melissa Held, Andreas Geier, Hermann Einsele, Stefan Frantz, Stefan Knop, Claudia Sommer, Stefan Stoerk
CLINICAL RESEARCH IN CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Didier Leys, Claudia Sommer, Paul Boon
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patricia Garcia-Fernandez, Colette Reinhold, Nurcan Ueceyler, Claudia Sommer
Summary: Polyneuropathy (PNP) refers to diseases of the peripheral nervous system, with 50% of cases presenting with neuropathic pain. Certain types of PNP show pain restricted to the distal leg skin, indicating a local regulatory process leading to pain. This study suggests that a pro-inflammatory pathway mediated by NF-κB may contribute to pain development in patients with painful PNP. Our findings support the hypothesis of local inflammatory processes involved in pain in PNP, and suggest disrupted anti-inflammatory pathways in inflammatory PNP involving TRPV1 and SIRT1.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Nadine Cebulla, Daniel Schirmer, Eva Runau, Leon Flamm, Sonja Gommersbach, Helena Stengel, Xiang Zhou, Hermann Einsele, Ann-Kristin Reinhold, Bruno Rogalla von Bieberstein, Daniel Zeller, Heike Rittner, K. Martin Kortuem, Claudia Sommer
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) and the characteristics of BTZ-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN). The study found that both patients with ongoing BTZ treatment and patients with previous BTZ treatment had higher serum NfL levels compared to controls, and patients with ongoing BTZ treatment had higher NfL levels than patients with past treatment. Serum NfL levels correlated with electrophysiological measures of axonal damage in the group with ongoing BTZ treatment.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anastasia Kuzkina, Celine Panzer, Aline Seger, Daniela Schmitt, Jonas Roessle, Sebastian R. Schreglmann, Henrike Knacke, Elena Salabasidou, Antonia Kohl, Elisabeth Sittig, Michael Barbe, Daniela Berg, Jens Volkmann, Claudia Sommer, Wolfgang H. Oertel, Eva Schaeffer, Michael Sommerauer, Annette Janzen, Kathrin Doppler
Summary: The study assessed the use of RT-QuIC method to detect alpha-synuclein aggregation in skin biopsy samples of iRBD patients. It was found that 97.4% of iRBD patients, 87.2% of PD patients, and 13% of controls showed aggregation of alpha-synuclein. RT-QuIC was more sensitive but less specific compared to immunohistochemistry.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Patricia Garcia-Fernandez, Klemens Hoefflin, Antonia Rausch, Katharina Strommer, Astrid Neumann, Nadine Cebulla, Ann-Kristin Reinhold, Heike Rittner, Nurcan Ueceyler, Claudia Sommer
Summary: In patients with peripheral neuropathies (PNP), the presence of neuropathic pain is independent of the etiology and is found in 50% of the cases. The pathophysiology of pain in PNP is poorly understood, but inflammation has been implicated in neurodegeneration, regeneration, and pain. A comprehensive analysis of inflammatory markers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of PNP patients and controls revealed no major differences in systemic inflammation, but specific cytokines or lipids showed variations. The study highlights the importance of CSF analysis in patients with peripheral neuropathies.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Claudia Sommer
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Claudia Sommer, Margarita Calvo, Fernando Cervero, John D. Loeser
Summary: The International Association for the Study of Pain has made important contributions to the understanding and treatment of pain through various activities and is committed to reducing the burden of pain worldwide.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katharina Klug, Marlene Spitzel, Clara Hans, Alexandra Klein, Nicole Michelle Schottmann, Christoph Erbacher, Nurcan Ueceyler
Summary: This study found that hypoxia and mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the development of pain in patients with Fabry disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Correction
Clinical Neurology
Peter Y. K. Van den Bergh, Pieter A. van Doorn, Robert D. M. Hadden, Bert Avau, Patrik Vankrunkelsven, Jeffrey A. Allen, Shahram Attarian, Patricia H. Blomkwist-Markens, David R. Cornblath, Filip Eftimov, H. Stephan Goedee, Thomas Harbo, Satoshi Kuwabara, Richard A. Lewis, Michael P. Lunn, Eduardo Nobile-Orazio, Luis Querol, Yusuf A. Rajabally, Claudia Sommer, Haluk A. Topaloglu
JOURNAL OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
(2022)