Decoding BDNF in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neurological disorders: mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic biology and disease associations without primary clinical trial data or systematic review methodology.
PubMed 41603981 · doi:10.1007/s11033-026-11485-8
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) synthesis, epigenetic and transcriptional regulation, and TrkB-mediated downstream signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt, Ras-MAPK, and PLC-γ1). The authors summarized mechanistic roles of BDNF in cerebellar development and surveyed its involvement across psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, effect sizes, or counts of reviewed studies. It qualitatively describes BDNF dysregulation across several major neurological and psychiatric disorders and notes that while changes in BDNF levels correlate with clinical outcomes, it is currently unclear whether BDNF upregulation is causally therapeutic or merely an associated response.
Why it matters
The review synthesizes broad mechanistic pathways linking BDNF signaling to diverse brain disorders, framing BDNF as a candidate biomarker and potential target for precision medicine strategies.
Limits
As a narrative review, it presents no original empirical data, quantitative meta-analysis, or systematic search criteria. The abstract does not establish whether BDNF modulation directly drives clinical improvements versus serving as a secondary epiphenomenon.
Cited by
- supports Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) stimulates the generation and growth of new brain cells.