Serum levels of BDNF, folate and homocysteine: In relation to hippocampal volume and psychopathology in drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia

anon79999497 · October 1, 2014, 8:11am

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Serum levels of BDNF, folate and homocysteine: in relation to hippocampal volume and psychopathology in drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia.

X Song, X Fan, X Li, D Kennedy, L Pang, M Quan, X Chen, J Gao, W Zhang, J Zhang and L Lv, Schizophrenia research, Oct 2014

The present study was to examine serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), folate, homocysteine (Hcy), and their relationships with hippocampal volume and psychopathology in drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia.Drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia patients and healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum levels of BDNF, folate and Hcy were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), and enzymatic cycling method respectively. Hippocampus was parcellated and bilateral hippocampal volumes were measured using FreeSurfer.Forty-six patients with drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia (SZ group) and 30 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled. The SZ group had significantly lower serum levels of BDNF and folate, and significantly higher serum levels of Hcy compared with the control group (p=0.013, p<0.001, p=0.003 respectively). There were no significant differences in hippocampal volumes between the two groups (ps>0.2). Within the SZ group, there were significant positive relationships between serum levels of BDNF and both left and right hippocampal volumes (r=0.327, p=0.026; r=0.338, p=0.022 respectively). In contrast, such relationships did not exist in the control group. Within the SZ group, there were significant negative relationships between serum levels of folate and PANSS-total scores and PANSS-negative symptom scores (r=0.319, p=0.031; r=0.321, p=0.030 respectively); and there was a positive relationship between serum levels of Hcy and PANSS-total scores (r=0.312, p=0.035). Controlling for potential confounding variables resulted in similar findings.Drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia presents decreased serum levels of BDNF, folate and increased serum levels of Hcy, which may play an important role in the neurodevelopmental process and clinical manifestation of schizophrenia.

anon31257746 · October 1, 2014, 8:25am

I just started taking methylfolate 2 weeks ago I’m hoping it will help . Trying for 8 weeks

Skims · October 1, 2014, 2:59pm

In wiki’ing BDNF I see that it is linked to depression also. It says:

the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, voluntary exercise, caloric restriction, intellectual stimulation, curcumin and various treatments for depression (such as antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy and sleep deprivation) increase expression of BDNF in the brain

So if the study is concluding that there is a decreased level of BDNF and Folic acid in 1st time SZ, then to try to prevent SZ increase the levels? And the increased levels of homocysteine serum may be due to not enough vitamin B6, Folic acid, and B12 in the diet, which all manage how homocycsteine is processed by the body. So children and possibly people who already have SZ should eat their potatos, greens, beans, fortified breakfast cereals, fish and soy/rice milk.