title: Long-term course of brain-derived neurotrophic factor serum levels in a patient treated with deep brain stimulation of the lateral habenula creator: Hoyer, Carolin creator: Kranaster, Laura creator: Sartorius, Alexander creator: Hellweg, Rainer creator: Gass, Peter subject: ddc-610 subject: 610 Medical sciences Medicine description: Introduction: According to the neurotrophin hypothesis, a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) decrease has been postulated as a pivotal pathomechanism in affective disorder, and the treatment-associated increase in peripheral BDNF has been linked to therapeutic efficacy of antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive therapy. However, in deep brain stimulation (DBS), a still experimental antidepressant treatment approach, this issue has not yet been investigated. Methods: We examine the long-term course of serum BDNF levels in a 64-year-old woman who is being treated with DBS of the lateral habenula for severe major depressive disorder. Results: Our main findings are a significant increase in BDNF serum levels following DBS of the lateral habenula and an inverse U-shaped correlation of depression scores and BDNF levels. Discussion: The data indicate that DBS, like other effective antidepressant treatments, may contribute to an increase in peripheral BDNF levels, which are thought to reflect central nervous DBS-induced neuroplastic changes. Moreover, our observations underscore the complex nature of disease-associated BDNF alterations. Their identification as either state or trait marker remains controversial and requires larger-scale longitudinal studies. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel publisher: S. Karger AG date: 2012 type: Article type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article type: NonPeerReviewed format: application/pdf identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/17840/1/NPS2012065003147.pdf identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00017840 identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-178407 identifier: Hoyer, Carolin ; Kranaster, Laura ; Sartorius, Alexander ; Hellweg, Rainer ; Gass, Peter (2012) Long-term course of brain-derived neurotrophic factor serum levels in a patient treated with deep brain stimulation of the lateral habenula. Neuropsychobiology, 65 (3). pp. 147-152. ISSN 0302-282X relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/17840/ rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html language: eng