1
|
Isayeva U, Manchia M, Collu R, Primavera D, Deriu L, Caboni E, Iaselli NM, Sundas D, Tusconi M, Pinna F, Paribello P, Scherma M, Pisanu C, Meloni A, Zai CC, Congiu D, Squassina A, Fratta W, Fadda P, Carpiniello B. Symptomatic remission and recovery in major psychosis: Is there a role for BDNF? A secondary analysis of the LABSP cohort data. Schizophr Res 2024; 266:197-204. [PMID: 38422890 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Remission, relapse prevention, and clinical recovery are crucial areas of interest in schizophrenia (SCZ) research. Although SCZ is a chronic disorder with poor overall outcomes, years of research demonstrated that recovery is possible. There are considerable data linking brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to SCZ, however, evidence on the role of BDNF in remission in SCZ is scarce. This secondary analysis of the Longitudinal Assessment of BDNF in Sardinian patients (LABSP) data aimed to investigate the relationship between serum BDNF levels and symptomatic remission, simultaneous clinical and functional remission, and recovery in patients with SCZ. A total of 105 patients with SCZ or schizoaffective disorder were recruited for a longitudinal assessment of BDNF levels over 24 months. Longitudinal data were analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression models. The study found significant associations between use of long acting injectables (χ2 = 7.075, df = 1, p = 0.008), baseline serum BDNF levels (U = 701, z = -2.543, p = 0.011), and "childhood" (U = 475, z = -2.124, p = 0.034) and "general" (U = 55, z = -2.014, p = 0.044) subscales of the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS) with patients maintaining remission and recovery. The diagnosis of SCZ was significantly associated with lower BDNF levels for patients with simultaneous clinical and functional remission (Z = 2.035, p = 0.0419) and recovery (Z = 2.009, p = 0.0445) compared to those without. There were no significant associations between remission in the entire sample and longitudinal serum BDNF levels or genetic variants within the BDNF gene. These findings provide further insight into the complex relationship between BDNF and SCZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulker Isayeva
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Mirko Manchia
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
| | - Roberto Collu
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Diego Primavera
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luca Deriu
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Edoardo Caboni
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Novella Maria Iaselli
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Davide Sundas
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Massimo Tusconi
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federica Pinna
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pasquale Paribello
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Scherma
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Claudia Pisanu
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Anna Meloni
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Clement C Zai
- Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Science, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donatella Congiu
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessio Squassina
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Walter Fratta
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Centre of Excellence "Neurobiology of Dependence", University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paola Fadda
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Centre of Excellence "Neurobiology of Dependence", University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Bernardo Carpiniello
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Isayeva U, Manchia M, Collu R, Primavera D, Deriu L, Caboni E, Iaselli N, Sundas D, Tusconi M, Pinna F, Paribello P, Scherma M, Pisanu C, Meloni A, Zai CC, Congiu D, Squassina A, Fratta W, Fadda P, Carpiniello B. Exploring the association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and longitudinal psychopathological and cognitive changes in Sardinian psychotic patients. Eur Psychiatry 2022; 65:e71. [DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and hypothesis
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders are among the most debilitating mental disorders and has complex pathophysiological underpinnings. There is growing evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can play a role in its pathogenesis. The present study investigated the longitudinal variation of serum BDNF levels in a 24-month observational prospective cohort study of Sardinian psychotic patients and its relationship with psychopathological and cognitive changes. Furthermore, we examined whether genetic variation within the BDNF gene could moderate these relationships.
Study design
Every 6 months, 105 patients were assessed for their BDNF serum levels, as well as for a series of psychopathological, cognitive, and social measures. We performed a targeted analysis of four tag single nucleotide polymorphisms within the BDNF gene that were selected and analyzed using polymerase chain reaction. Longitudinal data were analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression models.
Study results
We observed a declining longitudinal trajectory of BDNF levels in psychotic patients in general, and in relation to the severity of depressive and negative symptoms. BDNF serum levels also declined in patients scoring lower in cognitive measures such as attention and speed of information processing and verbal fluency. The rs7934165 polymorphism moderated the significant association between verbal fluency and BDNF levels.
Conclusions
These findings in patients from real-world settings suggest a plausible role of peripheral BDNF levels as a marker of illness burden in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Collapse
|
4
|
Early-life stress effects on BDNF DNA methylation in first-episode psychosis and in rats reared in isolation. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 108:110188. [PMID: 33259836 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Stressful events during early-life are risk factors for psychiatric disorders. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in psychosis pathophysiology and deficits in BDNF mRNA in animal models of psychiatric disease are reported. DNA methylation can control gene expression and may be influenced by environmental factors such as early-life stress. We investigated BDNF methylation in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients (n = 58), their unaffected siblings (n = 29) and community-based controls (n = 59), each of whom completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ); BDNF methylation was also tested in male Wistar rats housed isolated or grouped from weaning. DNA was extracted from human blood and rat brain (prefrontal cortex and hippocampus), bisulphite-converted and the methylation of equivalent sequences within BDNF exon IV determined by pyrosequencing. BDNF methylation did not differ significantly between diagnostic groups; however, individuals who had experienced trauma presented higher levels of methylation. We found association between the mean BDNF methylation and total CTQ score in FEP, as well as between individual CpG sites and subtypes of trauma. No significant correlations were found for controls or siblings with child trauma. These results were independent of age, gender, body mass index, BDNF genotype or LINE-1, a measure of global methylation, which showed no significant association with trauma. Isolation rearing resulted in increased BDNF methylation in both brain regions compared to group-housed animals, a correlate of previously reported changes in gene expression. Our results suggest that childhood maltreatment may result in increased BDNF methylation, providing a mechanism underlying the association between early-life stress and psychosis.
Collapse
|