Abstract
Objective: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are decreased in individuals with depression and increase following antidepressant treatment. The objective of this study is to compare pre- and post-treatment serum BDNF levels in patients with drug-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) who received either electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). It is hypothesized that non-pharmacological treatments also increase serum BDNF levels. Methods: This was a prospective, single-blind study comparing pre- and post-treatment serum BDNF levels of 29 patients with drug-resistant MDD who received ECT or rTMS treatment. Serum BDNF levels were measured 1 week prior to and 1 week after treatment using the sandwich ELISA technique. Depression severity was measured 1 week before and 1 week after treatment using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Two-sided normal distribution paired t-test analysis was used to compare pre- and post-treatment BDNF concentration and illness severity. Bivariate correlations using Pearson’s coefficient assessed the relationship between post-treatment BDNF levels and post-treatment depression severity. Results: There was no significant difference in serum BDNF levels before and after ECT, although concentrations tended to increase from a baseline mean of 9.95–12.29 ng/ml after treatment (p = 0.137). Treatment with rTMS did not significantly alter BDNF concentrations (p = 0.282). Depression severity significantly decreased following both ECT (p = 0.003) and rTMS (p < 0.001). Post-treatment BDNF concentration was not significantly correlated with post-treatment depression severity in patients who received either ECT (r = −0.133, p = 0.697) or rTMS (r = 0.374, p = 0.126). It is important to note that these results are based on the small number of patients included in this study. Conclusion: This study suggests that ECT and rTMS may not exert their clinical effects by altering serum BDNF levels in patients with drug-resistant MDD. Serum BDNF concentration may not be a biomarker of ECT or rTMS treatment response.
Highlights
Depression is associated with neuronal atrophy and cell loss in discrete regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus (Sapolsky, 1996; Sheline et al, 1996; Sheline et al, 1999; Bremner et al, 2000; Warner-Schmidt and Duman, 2006)
Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in antidepressant-naive individuals suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) tend to be significantly lower than BDNF levels in both individuals treated for depression and healthy controls (Karege et al, 2002a, 2005; Shimizu et al, 2003; Lee et al, 2007; Sen et al, 2008; Bocchio-Chiavetto et al, 2010)
The primary objective of this study is to examine the effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on serum BDNF levels in patients with treatmentresistant MDD
Summary
Depression is associated with neuronal atrophy and cell loss in discrete regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus (Sapolsky, 1996; Sheline et al, 1996; Sheline et al, 1999; Bremner et al, 2000; Warner-Schmidt and Duman, 2006). Recent research suggests that BDNF is involved in the pathophysiology of depression as well as in the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatments (Hashimoto et al, 2004; Angelucci et al, 2005; Russo-Neustadt and Chen, 2005; Schmidt and Duman, 2010).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
