Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and suicide pathogenesis

Figures & data

Table I. Summary of BDNF, TrkB, and p75^NTR studies in suicide.

Studies	Outcome	Reference
BDNF studies:
Blood cell studies	Decrease	57,58,59,60,61
Post-mortem brain studies
Prefrontal cortex	Decrease	62,63,65
Hippocampus	Decrease	62,63
Hippocampus	No change	65
Entorhinal cortex	No change	63
Genetic association studies (Val66Met polymorphism)
	No association	69,73
	Positive association	70,71,72
TrkB studies:
Full-length TrkB	Decrease	62,80
Truncated TrkB.T1	No change	62,65
Truncated TrkB.T1	Decrease	81
p75^NTR studies:
Post-mortem brain studies	Increase	80
Genetic association (S205L polymorphism)	Positive association	92

Figure 1. Postulated hypothesis for the role of BDNF and p75^NTR in suicidal behavior. Reductions in BDNF and TrkB and up-regulation of pro-BDNF and p75^NTR may cause altered structural and neural plasticity, which may be crucial in the etiology and pathogenesis of suicidal behavior (BDNF = brain-derived neurotrophic factor; LTD = long-term depression; LTP = long-term potentiation; p75^NTR = pan75 neurotrophin receptor; TrkB = tropomycin receptor kinase B).

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