Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene Val66Met polymorphism and cognitive function in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition.
• Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in neuronal plasticity and function.
• The Val66Met polymorphism in the BDNF gene may influence BDNF function and be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and OCD.
• To examine the relationship between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and executive functions in OCD patients.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in 100 OCD patients and 110 healthy controls.
• Comparison of allele and genotype frequencies between groups.
• Neuropsychological testing of executive functions and verbal memory in subgroups based on genotype.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in BDNF Val66Met allele or genotype distributions between OCD patients and controls.
• OCD patients carrying the Met allele showed slower performance on Trail-Making Tests (TMT A, TMT B, TMT B-A).
• OCD-Met carriers exhibited poorer performance on verbal fluency tasks and several California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) measures compared to healthy control-Met carriers.

Conclusions:

• The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is not a significant risk factor for developing OCD.
• The presence of the BDNF Met allele, associated with reduced BDNF activity, may be linked to impaired executive functioning in individuals with OCD.