Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels associate with cognitive improvement in patients with schizophrenia treated with electroacupuncture.

Accumulating evidence supports that acupuncture has been successfully used for the treatment of neurological disorders to improve cognitive function. This study was set to evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA, using two acupoints: Baihui and Shenting) on clinical symptoms, cognitive function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with schizophrenia. Sixty-one inpatients diagnosed schizophrenia with DSM-IV criteria were recruited.

[An association study between GRIN1, BDNF genes and bipolar disorder].

To evaluate the role of inherited gene variations in GRIN1 (glutamate receptor, ionotropic NMDA1), BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) genes in human bipolar disorder, we selected 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms in GRIN1, BDNF (2 SNPs in each gene) and made SNPs analysis in 100 unrelated cases and 100 controls by TaqMan. Then we compared genotypes differences between cases and controls. The software SHEsis was also used to make haplotype analysis.

Plasma S-100B protein in Chinese patients with schizophrenia: comparison with healthy controls and effect of antipsychotics treatment.

Purpose: To examine the possibility that structural damage to the brain may play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia by measuring the level of plasma S-100B, a calcium-binding protein found predominantly in the cytosol of glial cells.

Method: Fifty-seven Chinese psychiatric inpatients who met DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and 60 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Patients were assessed with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) at admission and at 12 weeks after treatment.