Abstract
Background
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are brain stimulation techniques used as therapeutic interventions in major depression.
Methods
In this study, we report the impact of these stimulation techniques on serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in treatment-resistant patients with a diagnosis of major depression.
Results
We found no changes of BDNF serum concentrations and no association of neurotrophin concentrations in serum with clinical parameters in our sample.
Conclusion
Our preliminary results suggest that brain stimulation techniques—in contrast to several antidepressant medications—do not change BDNF serum concentrations.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aydemir O, Deveci A, Taneli F (2005) The effect of chronic antidepressant treatment on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in depressed patients: a preliminary study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 29:261–265
Duman RS (2004) Role of neurotrophic factors in the etiology and treatment of mood disorders. Neuromolecular Med 5:11–26
Fujimura H, Altar CA, Chen R, Nakamura T, Nakahashi T, Kambayashi J, Sun B, Tandon NN (2002) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is stored in human platelets and released by agonist stimulation. Thromb Haemost 87:728–734
Gervasoni N, Aubry JM, Bondolfi G, Osiek C, Schwald M, Bertschy G, Karege F (2005) Partial normalization of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in remitted patients after a major depressive episode. Neuropsychobiology 51:234–238
Gonul AS, Akdeniz F, Taneli F, Donat O, Eker C, Vahip S (2005) Effect of treatment on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in depressed patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 255:381–386
Groves DA, Brown VJ (2005) Vagal nerve stimulation: a review of its applications and potential mechanisms that mediate its clinical effects. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 29:493–500
Hashimoto K, Shimizu E, Iyo M (2004) Critical role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in mood disorders. Brain Res Brain Res Rev 45:104–114
Hellweg R, Hock C, Hartung HD (1989) An improved rapid and highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay for nerve growth factor. J Methods Cell Mol Biol 1:43–49
Hellweg R, von Armin CAF, Büchner M, Huber R, Riepe MW (2003) Neuroprotection and neuronal dysfunction upon repetitive disinhibition of oxidative phosphorylation. Exp Neurol 183:346–354
Karege F, Schwald M, Cisse M (2002) Postnatal developmental profile of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rat brain and platelets. Neurosci Lett 328:261–264
Karege F, Bondolfi G, Gervasoni N, Schwald M, Aubry JM, Bertschy G (2005) Low brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in serum of depressed patients probably results from lowered platelet BDNF release unrelated to platelet reactivity. Biol Psychiatry 57:1068–1072
Kobayashi K, Shimizu E, Hashimoto K, Mitsumori M, Koike K, Okamura N, Koizumi H, Ohgake S, Matsuzawa D, Zhang L, Nakazato M, Iyo M (2005) Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with panic disorder: as a biological predictor of response to group cognitive behavioral therapy. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 29:658–663
Lang UE, Hellweg R, Gallinat J (2004a) BDNF serum concentrations in healthy humans are associated with depression-related personality traits. Neuropsychopharmacology 29:795–798
Lang UE, Jockers-Scherübl MC, Hellweg R (2004b) Neurotrophins in psychiatric disorders. State of the art: implications and limitations. J Neural Transm 111:387–411
Russo-Neustadt AA, Chen MJ (2005) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and antidepressant activity. Curr Pharm Des 11:1495–510
Shimizu E, Hashimoto K, Okamura N, Koike K, Komatsu N, Kumakiri C, Nakazato M, Watanabe H, Shinoda N, Okada S, Iyo M (2003) Alterations of serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in depressed patients with or without antidepressants. Biol Psychiatry 54:70–75
Siebner HR, Rothwell J (2003) Transcranial magnetic stimulation: new insights into representational cortical plasticity. Exp Brain Res 148:1–16
Tharmapathy P, Selheim F, Odegaard K, Lund A, Holmsen H (2000) Venlafaxine treatment stimulates blood platelet activity. J Clin Psychopharmacol 20:589–590
Tsai SJ (2005) Possible involvement of the BDNF-dependent pathway in treatment–emergent suicidality or decreased response to antidepressants. Med Hypotheses 65:942–946
Yamamoto H, Gurney ME (1990) Human platelets contain brain-derived neurotrophic factor. J Neurosci 10:3469–3478
Acknowledgements
Undine E. Lang and Malek Bajbouj contributed equally to this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lang, U.E., Bajbouj, M., Gallinat, J. et al. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor serum concentrations in depressive patients during vagus nerve stimulation and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Psychopharmacology 187, 56–59 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0399-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0399-y