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Review
. 2023 Aug 20;13(8):1221.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci13081221.

Can Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Be Considered a Biomarker for Bipolar Disorder? An Analysis of the Current Evidence

Gianmarco De Felice  1 , Mario Luciano  1 , Alessia Boiano  1 , Giulia Colangelo  1 , Pierluigi Catapano  1 , Bianca Della Rocca  1 , Maria Vita Lapadula  1 , Elena Piegari  1 , Claudia Toni  1 , Andrea Fiorillo  1
Affiliations
Review

Can Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Be Considered a Biomarker for Bipolar Disorder? An Analysis of the Current Evidence

Gianmarco De Felice et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a key role in brain development, contributing to neuronal survival and neuroplasticity. Previous works have found that BDNF is involved in several neurological or psychiatric diseases. In this review, we aimed to collect all available data on BDNF and bipolar disorder (BD) and assess if BDNF could be considered a biomarker for BD. We searched the most relevant medical databases and included studies reporting original data on BDNF circulating levels or Val66Met polymorphism. Only articles including a direct comparison with healthy controls (HC) and patients diagnosed with BD according to international classification systems were included. Of the 2430 identified articles, 29 were included in the present review. Results of the present review show a reduction in BDNF circulating levels during acute phases of BD compared to HC, which increase after effective therapy of the disorders. The Val66Met polymorphism was related to features usually associated with worse outcomes. High heterogeneity has been observed regarding sample size, clinical differences of included patients, and data analysis approaches, reducing comparisons among studies. Although more studies are needed, BDNF seems to be a promising biomarker for BD.

Keywords: BDNF; bipolar disorder; brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram of selection of studies included in the review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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