The predictive role of proinflammatory and neuroendocrine factors in the acute phases of bipolar disorder: study protocol of a longitudinal controlled trial.

Introduction And Aims: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and recurring mental illness associated with a significant personal and social burden. It has been recently hypothesized that increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cortisol, which is also associated with a reduced expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), may influence affective recurrences in BD. Our study aims to: 1) assess changes in the levels of peripheral cytokines, BDNF and salivary cortisol during acute and euthymic phases of bipolar disorder, compared to that of a sample oh healthy controls; 2) evaluate whether these changes represent a biosignature for the different phases of the illness.

Can Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Be Considered a Biomarker for Bipolar Disorder? An Analysis of the Current Evidence.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a key role in brain development, contributing to neuronal survival and neuroplasticity. Previous works have found that BDNF is involved in several neurological or psychiatric diseases. In this review, we aimed to collect all available data on BDNF and bipolar disorder (BD) and assess if BDNF could be considered a biomarker for BD.

The association between childhood maltreatment and eating disorder psychopathology: A mixed-model investigation.

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is recognized as a non-specific risk factor for Eating Disorders (EDs), but the mechanisms explaining this association have been insufficiently assessed. We aim to explore the psychological pathways through which CM experiences promote ED core symptoms.

Methods: Two-hundred-twenty-eight people with EDs, 94 with anorexia nervosa restricting (ANR) type and 134 with binge-purging (BP) symptoms (including 23 with AN purging type and 111 with bulimia nervosa), completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.