Effects of atypical antipsychotics on first-episode antipsychotic-na?ve schizophrenia:brain-derived neurotrophic factor study / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effects of 6-week atypical antipsychotics treatment on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)level,and the correlation between BDNF level and clinical efficiency in first-episode antipsychotic-na?ve schizophrenia.Methods We recruited 39 hospitalized patients with first-episode antipsychotic-na?ve schizophrenia that met with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—4th Edition (DSM-IV).Both Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)and the level of serum BDNF were measured before and after 6 weeks’treatment with atypical antipsychotics.We also studied 30 healthy controls.Serum BDNF was assayed at baseline.Results Pre-treatment BDNF level was significantly lower in the schizophrenic patients than in the controls [(6.82±2.1 5 )μg/L vs .(1 1.6 ± 3.32 )μg/L,t = 7.239,P 0.05),or duration of illness (r = - 0.058,P > 0.05 ).Changes in BDNF levels with treatment were correlated with the duration of illness (r =-0.345,P 0.05).Conclusion BDNF level is significantly lower in patients with first-episode antipsychotic-na?ve schizophrenia than in normal controls.It could be improved by using antipsychotics.Higher pre-treatment BDNF level may predict better response to antipsychotics.