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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor val66met polymorphism affects human memory-related hippocampal activity and
Ahmad R Hariri1, Terry E Goldberg, Venkata S Mattay
1Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1384, USA.
Summary
The BDNF val66met gene variant impacts hippocampal activity during memory tasks. Met carriers show reduced hippocampal engagement, affecting episodic memory performance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is crucial for neuroplasticity, learning, and memory.
- A common BDNF gene polymorphism (val66met) affects BDNF secretion and has been linked to memory deficits.
- Previous studies suggested but did not directly demonstrate BDNF's effect on hippocampal memory processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct relationship between BDNF val66met genotype and hippocampal activity during episodic memory encoding and retrieval.
- To determine if BDNF genotype influences declarative memory performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure hippocampal activity.
- Employed a declarative memory task in healthy individuals.
- Genotyped participants for the BDNF val66met polymorphism.
Main Results:
- BDNF val66met carriers demonstrated reduced hippocampal engagement compared to val homozygotes during memory encoding and retrieval.
- The BDNF genotype's interaction with hippocampal activity during encoding explained 25% of the variation in recognition memory performance.
- These findings directly link BDNF genotype to hippocampal function in memory processing.
Conclusions:
- The BDNF val66met genotype significantly influences hippocampal function related to episodic memory in humans.
- This genetic variation provides a mechanism for normal differences in human declarative memory.
- The study highlights the translational relevance of BDNF's role in hippocampal function from animal models to humans.