Abstract
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin that has been related not only to neurodevelopment and neuroprotection, but also to synapse regulation, learning, and memory. Research focused on the neurobiology of schizophrenia has emphasized the relevance of neurodevelopmental and neurotoxicity-related elements in the pathogenesis of this disease. Research focused on the clinical features of schizophrenia in the past decades has emphasized the relevance of cognitive deficits of this illness, considered a core manifestation and an important predictor for functional outcome. Variations in neurotrophins such as BDNF may have a role as part of the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes, from the neurodevelopmental alterations to the molecular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia patients.
Highlights
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most widely distributed neurotrophin in the brain, and it has been associated with several psychiatric disorders
In relation to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, neurodevelopmental and neurotoxicity-related elements, neurotrophins such as BDNF can provide an explanatory framework supported by evidence at molecular, cellular, animal, and human subjects levels
The synaptic alterations due to problems in BDNF expression may alter neurotransmitter pathways classically involved in schizophrenia pathophysiology, such as the dopaminergic and GABA systems
Summary
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most widely distributed neurotrophin in the brain, and it has been associated with several psychiatric disorders. Considering the role BDNF in neurodevelopment, synapse regulation, and synaptic plasticity, it has been proposed as a candidate to explain part of the pathogenesis of this disease. Alterations in neurotrophic factors such as BDNF at the protein and gene level may contribute to altered brain development, synaptic disconnectivity, and failures in neuroplasticity, and explain at least in part some of the morphological and neurochemical abnormalities found in the brains of patients with schizophrenia. This article reviews different elements that provide evidence that BDNF may play a role in pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and reviews the evidence suggesting that it may play a role in the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits, which can be considered core symptoms of this disease
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