The development of depression. The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor

An association between the presence of psychosocial stress, its pathological processing and the development of depression is well documented. This review reports and discusses studies suggesting a reduced release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) under stress as a possible mechanism. The studies show a reduction of BDNF secretion in stressful situations, a decreased blood concentration in depression and a normalization of BDNF by successful antidepressant therapy. As a possible mechanism of BDNF action, a reactivation of neuroplasticity is being discussed, especially in hippocampal and cortical networks. On the other hand, methodological limitations, such as the impossibility of determining the cerebral BDNF concentration in vivo and ruling out a variety of possible confounders, may restrict the significance of the studies. The question of whether the ascertained changes of BDNF levels are causally involved in the pathophysiology of depression or whether they are just an epiphenomenal result of depression-induced stress is still under debate.