Serum BDNF Levels Among Patients with Alcohol Dependence, Depression and Alcohol Dependence with Comorbid Depression – A Comparative Study

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to assess and compare the serum brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with alcohol dependence, depression and alcohol dependence with comorbid depression. Three groups each of 30 alcohol-dependent, depressive and alcohol-dependent with comorbid depressive patients seeking treatment were included. BDNF levels were estimated, and scales were administered to assess severity of alcohol dependence (using severity of alcohol dependence questionnaire, SADQ) and depressive symptoms (using Hamilton depression rating scale, HDRS). The mean BDNF value in ADS, depression and ADS with comorbid depression group was 16.4 ng/mL, 14.4 ng/mL and 12.29 ng/mL respectively, and the differences were statistically significant. In ADS group and ADS with comorbid depression groups significant negative association existed between BDNF and SADQ scores (r = −0.371, p = .043 and r = −0.0474, p = .008 respectively). There were significant negative association between BDNF and HDRS scores in depression and comorbid ADS and depression group (r = −0.400, p = .029 and r = −0.408, p = .025 respectively). The BDNF level was significantly lower in the ADS with comorbid depression group and was associated with severity of dependence and depression across the groups.

Keywords:

• BDNF
• Alcohol dependence
• Depression
• Biomarker

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India for supporting to conduct the study. The authors also thank all the staff, research participants and coordinators who have been involved during this study.

Contributors

Subathra Brammanathan contributed to the study design, data collection and analysis and drafted the manuscript. Raka Jain conceptualized the study and contributed to the study design, data interpretation and manuscript revision. Siddharth Sarkar contributed to the study design, data analysis and interpretation and manuscript revision. Rahul Raghav contributed to the laboratory estimation of BDNF levels and interpretation of results. Rajesh Sagar contributed to the study design and interpretation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies.