Reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor in prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia

ABSTRACT Anatomical and molecular abnormalities of excitatory neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) are found in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that brain-derived

neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein capable of increasing pyramidal neuron spine density and augmenting synaptic efficacy of glutamate, may be abnormally expressed in the DLPFC of patients

with schizophrenia. Using an RNase protection assay and Western blotting, we detected a significant reduction in BDNF mRNA (mean=23%) and protein (mean=40%) in the DLPFC of patients with

schizophrenia compared to normal individuals. At the cellular level, BDNF mRNA was expressed at varying intensities in pyramidal neurons throughout layers II, III, V, and VI of DLPFC. In

patients with schizophrenia; neuronal BDNF expression was decreased in layers III, V and VI. Our study demonstrates a reduction in BDNF production and availability in the DLPFC of

schizophrenics, and suggests that intrinsic cortical neurons, afferent neurons, and target neurons may receive less trophic support in this disorder. Access through your institution Buy or

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TRANSCRIPTIONAL EVIDENCE OF REDUCED BDNF TROPHIC CAPACITY IN THE POST-MORTEM HUMAN MIDBRAIN OF SCHIZOPHRENIA CASES WITH HIGH INFLAMMATION Article Open access 07 May 2025 BDNF CONTROLS

GABAAR TRAFFICKING AND RELATED COGNITIVE PROCESSES VIA AUTOPHAGIC REGULATION OF P62 Article 02 August 2021 INCREASED EXCITATORY TO INHIBITORY SYNAPTIC RATIO IN PARIETAL CORTEX SAMPLES FROM

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psychoses. _Schizophr Res_ 2001; 52: 79–86. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Dr David Kaplan for the generous donation of BDNF antibody. We

thank our dedicated research assistants who contributed to this work: Robert Fatula, Nader Halim, Deborah Kittell, Davinna Ligons, Benjamin McClintock, and Tara Romanczyk. We also thank

those instrumental in the brain collection effort: Juraj Cervenak MD and Yeva Snitkovsky. This work was supported, in part, by a NARSAD young investigator award to CSW. AUTHOR INFORMATION

AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, NIMH, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA C S Weickert, T M Hyde, B K Lipska, M M Herman, D R Weinberger & J E Kleinman Authors * C S

Weickert View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * T M Hyde View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

* B K Lipska View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M M Herman View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google

Scholar * D R Weinberger View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * J E Kleinman View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to C S Weickert. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Weickert, C., Hyde, T.,

Lipska, B. _et al._ Reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor in prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia. _Mol Psychiatry_ 8, 592–610 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001308

Download citation * Received: 06 August 2002 * Revised: 22 August 2002 * Accepted: 11 November 2002 * Published: 08 July 2003 * Issue Date: 01 June 2003 * DOI:

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currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * neurotrophin * TrkB ligand * DLPFC * post-mortem * BDNF

* growth factor