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. 2023 Sep 20;13(9):1425.
doi: 10.3390/biom13091425.

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in First-Episode and Recurrent Major Depression and before and after Bright Light Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression

Biljana Kosanovic Rajacic  1 , Marina Sagud  1   2 , Drazen Begic  1   2 , Matea Nikolac Perkovic  3 , Anja Dvojkovic  4 , Lana Ganoci  5 , Nela Pivac  3   6
Affiliations

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in First-Episode and Recurrent Major Depression and before and after Bright Light Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression

Biljana Kosanovic Rajacic et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in the etiology and treatment response in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, peripheral BDNF concentrations have not been compared across different MDD stages. Bright light therapy (BLT) offers some potential in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but its effects on BDNF levels are unknown. This study included a cross-sectional analysis of plasma BDNF concentration in females with TRD, unmedicated MDD patients, and healthy controls (HC), and measurements of longitudinal BLT effects on plasma BDNF levels in TRD patients. The present study included 55 drug-naïve, first-episode patients, 25 drug-free recurrent-episode MDD patients, 71 HC participants, and 54 TRD patients. Patients were rated by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD)-17 and the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Patients with TRD received BLT during 4 weeks. The total HAMD-17 and MADRS scores decreased following BLT. All patient groups had lower plasma BDNF than HC, but BDNF levels did not differ between first- and recurrent-episode BDNF patients and TRD patients before or after BLT. However, responders and remitters to BLT had higher post-treatment plasma BDNF concentrations than patients who did not achieve response or remission. The changes in plasma BDNF levels may be candidates for biomarkers of treatment response to BLT in TRD patients.

Keywords: brain-derived neurotrophic factor; bright light therapy; major depressive disorder; plasma concentration; remission; treatment response; treatment-resistant depression.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Plasma BDNF concentration in healthy subjects (HC), patients with first or recurrent-episode MDD, and subjects with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) before and after 4 weeks of treatment with BLT: *** p < 0.001 vs. HC; * p < 0.05 vs. HC (Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA followed by the Dunn’s post-hoc method). Median value and quartile (Q1 and Q3) values for each group are indicated in the figure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Plasma BDNF concentration in subjects with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) before and after 4 weeks of treatment with BLT. Median value and quartile (Q1 and Q3) values for each group are indicated in the figure.
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