Brain-derived neurotrophic factor serum levels correlate with cognitive performance in Parkinson’s disease patients with mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a trophic factor regulating cell survival and synaptic plasticity. Recent findings indicate that BDNF could be a potential regulatory factor for cognitive functioning in normal and/or neuropathological conditions. With regard to neurological disorders, recent data suggest that individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be affected by cognitive deficits and that they have altered BDNF production. Therefore, the hypothesis can be advanced that BDNF levels are associated with the cognitive state of these patients. With this in mind, the present study was aimed at exploring the relationship between BDNF serum levels and cognitive functioning in PD patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Thirteen PD patients with MCI were included in the study. They were administered an extensive neuropsychological test battery that investigated executive, episodic memory, attention, visual-spatial and language domains. A single score was obtained for each cognitive domain by averaging z-scores on tests belonging to that specific domain. BDNF serum levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Pearson’s correlation analyses were performed between BDNF serum levels and cognitive performance. Results showed a significant positive correlation between BDNF serum levels and both attention (p < 0.05) and executive (p < 0.05) domains. Moreover, in the executive domain we found a significant correlation between BDNF levels and scores on tests assessing working memory and self-monitoring/inhibition. These preliminary data suggest that BDNF serum levels are associated with cognitive state in PD patients with MCI. Given the role of BDNF in regulating synaptic plasticity, the present findings give further support to the hypothesis that this trophic factor may be a potential biomarker for evaluating cognitive changes in PD and other neurological syndromes associated with cognitive decline.

metabolic profiling of Parkinson's disease and mild cognitive impairment

“…Serological levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neuroprotective member of the trophin family, have been linked to PD . With this in mind, we correlated the significantly different metabolites in this study to serological BDNF levels in our cohort, identifying a significant correlations (Pearson's correlation ranges r = 0.33‐0.39) between increased metabolites of FAO and increasing BDNF (Table ).…”

Methylene blue protects dopaminergic neurons against MPTP‐induced neurotoxicity by upregulating brain‐derived neurotrophic factor

“…Evidence suggests that a reduction in BDNF levels and/or function is related to the aforementioned diseases. Notably, the BDNF serum level is positively correlated with the severity of motor symptoms and cognitive impairment in PD patients . Other studies have claimed that BDNF mRNA level is downregulated in the substantia nigra of Parkinsonian syndrome patients .…”

“…Notably, the BDNF serum level is positively correlated with the severity of motor symptoms and cognitive impairment in PD patients. 37,38 Other studies have claimed that BDNF mRNA level is downregulated in the substantia nigra of Parkinsonian syndrome patients. 39 These contradictory findings may suggest that the BDNF level is downregulated in the initial phase and upregulated in advanced stages as a compensatory mechanism.…”

APOEε4 impacts up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor after a six-month stretch and aerobic exercise intervention in mild cognitively impaired elderly African Americans: A pilot study

“…Correlation between brain and serum levels of BDNF has not been established; however, several studies suggest that serum levels of BDNF are positively correlative with levels found in brain [53–56]. Notably, exercise has been established as an up-regulator of BDNF in both animal and human subjects [14, 57–63], as well as in various states of cognitive decline including Alzheimer’s disease [11] for which lowered levels of BDNF have been reported [64–67]. Few studies have demonstrated direct positive correlations between exercise-induced BDNF upregulation and improved cognitive function in human subjects (Kimhy D 2015); however, the neuroprotective impact of BDNF upregulation has been well documented [68–70].…”