Exercise-induced normalization of decreased BDNF serum concentration in elderly women with remitted major depression

Abstract

Major depression (MD) has been associated with decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum levels, while antidepressant drugs were found to increase these decreased BDNF levels. We investigated if this is also caused by a single exercise session in elderly women with remitted MD. In our study 35 elderly women with a (partially) remitted depressive episode of unipolar depression according to DSM-IV criteria within the last year and 20 age-matched healthy female controls were included. Depression severity was assessed by HAMD. Serum levels of BDNF were measured by ELISA. Blood samples were taken during the rest period before beginning the exercise including spiroergometry, at the end of the exercise and after a 30-min recovery period. At baseline MD patients showed significantly decreased BDNF serum levels compared to healthy female controls. After a single 30-min exercise period, we found a significant increase of BDNF serum levels in MD patients towards values comparable with the baseline levels of the healthy controls, followed by a significant decrease after 30 min rest, while the healthy controls showed only a mild but non-significant increase. In conclusion, a single exercise session leads to a significant up-regulation and transient normalization of BDNF serum levels in elderly women with remitted MD. This mechanism may contribute to the beneficial therapeutic and relapse-preventing effects of physical activity on MD.

A review of lifestyle factors that contribute to important pathways associated with major depression: Diet, sleep and exercise

“…Human studies on the effects of exercise-induced BDNF changes in depressed populations are still preliminary, although BDNF levels were transiently increased in elderly women with remitted major depression (Laske et al, 2010) and in unmedicated patients suffering from major depressive disorder (Gustafsson et al, 2009). …”

Flavonoids as modulators of memory and learning: molecular interactions resulting in behavioural effects

“…Furthermore, the ability of these compounds to modulate neurotrophic factors such as BDNF makes them useful targets for the prevention of cognitive decline since these are crucial for neuronal survival and for the protection of neurons from injury (225) . BDNF levels are known to decline during aging and their levels have been shown to correlate with human learning and memory (226)(227)(228)(229) , which has driven a considerable amount of research into design drugs that target BDNF and regulate its endogenous levels in the brain (230) . Indeed, drugs used to prevent AD such as memantine, as well as newly developed therapeutic interventions, both target BDNF and its levels in brain regions affected by the disease (231)(232)(233) .…”

The Effects of a Walking Intervention on Depressive Feelings and Social Adaptation in Healthy Workers

“…Another study demonstrated that exercise and social contact both result in significant reductions in the total and the psychological subscale of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) [28]. These results indicate that short term exercise has a broader effect than control conditions in reducing symptoms of depression in moderately depressed elderly populations, but the precise mecha- [29]. The results of this study suggest that daily exercising contributes to a good mental condition, and the non-exercising subjects showed significant improvement in their mental condition by starting and continuing to exercise.…”