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Pilot Prospective Study on BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) as a Predictive Biomarker of the Occurrence of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)



Author(s)

Guanghua Yang, Bernard Vilamot, Marc Passamar, Nouredine Sadeg, Hafid Belhadj-Tahar

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DOI:10.17265/1548-6648/2015.01.002

The pilot study’s main objective was to assess the rate of serum BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) and initial clinical course during three months of the matter submitted to a potentially traumatic event. In this study, 12 volunteers were recruited, 7 have been exposed to a traumatic event and 5 negative controls without psycho-trauma history. This study showed the following results: the rate of BDNF was significantly lower in the group of volunteers exposed to trauma compared with the control group: 6.20 ± 1.73 ng/mL for the group with trauma versus 21.79 ± 1.76 ng/mL for the control group with P < 0.001. The rate of serum BDNF is significantly collapsed in victims of physical aggression compared to those who have witnessed a traumatic event: 4.36 ± 0.37 ng/mL for assault group versus 6.94 ± 1.44 ng/mL control group event with P = 0.03. The level of BDNF is significantly inversely correlated with the intensity of the Peritraumatic distress (r = -0.75, P < 0.05). The rate of serum BDNF was significantly lower in the group with acute PTSD compared to group with no PTSD: 7.5 ± 0.9 ng/mL in the absence of PTSD (n = 4) versus 4.5 ± 0.49 ng/mL in the presence of PTSD (n = 3), P = 0.001. 

Post traumatic stress, PTSD, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, biomarker.