Decreased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in elderly korean with dementia.

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level between elderly Korean people over 65 years with and without dementia.

Methods: 171 individuals over 65 years were enrolled in this study. Screening for cognitive impairments was carried out using the Mini-Mental Status Examination-Korean version (MMSE-KC).

Clinical effectiveness of the Kampo medicine kamishoyosan for adjunctive treatment of tardive dyskinesia in patients with schizophrenia: a 16-week open trial.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of kamishoyosan for antipsychotic-induced tardive dyskinesia, and to investigate the relationship between tardive dyskinesia and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Sixty-nine schizophrenia patients were enrolled; of these, 49 presented with tardive dyskinesia while the remaining 20 patients showed no tardive dyskinesia. The tardive dyskinesia group was treated for 16 weeks with kamishoyosan and assessed using the abnormal involuntary movement scale.