Pleiotropic effects of BDNF on the cerebellum and hippocampus: Implications for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic and preclinical biology without original human data or systematic search methodology.
PubMed 34974125 · doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105606
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the published literature regarding the biological roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during early postnatal development, specifically examining its functions in the cerebellum and hippocampus and evaluating how aberrant BDNF signaling contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder.
What was found
The abstract provides a qualitative summary and reports no quantitative data or effect sizes. BDNF demonstrates its highest expression levels in the cerebellum and hippocampus. In the postnatal cerebellum, BDNF acts as a mitogenic and chemotactic regulator supporting cerebellar granule cell precursor proliferation, migration, and maturation. In the hippocampus, it modulates synaptic transmission, long-term potentiation, learning, and memory. The authors note that both excessive and insufficient BDNF signaling are implicated in the neuronal pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Why it matters
The review outlines how postnatal BDNF signaling coordinates both structural neurogenesis and functional plasticity, highlighting BDNF pathways as potential targets for neuroprotective strategies in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Limits
The abstract describes a non-systematic narrative review without predefined search criteria, quality appraisal, or study counts. The conclusions rely heavily on basic neurobiology and animal models, and no clinical trial or human outcome data are reported.
Cited by
- supports Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neurogenesis in brain regions such as the hippocampus and substantia nigra and supports long-term potentiation.