Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Psychopathology in Attempted Suicide
Livia Ambrus1, Charlotta Sunnqvist, Rolf Ekman
1Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Background/Aims:
Increasing evidence suggests a link between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and suicidal behaviour (SB). Furthermore, decreased peripheral BDNF levels have been associated with clinical symptoms in various psychiatric disorders as well as with personality dimensions in healthy individuals. However, the relationship between BDNF and psychopathology is poorly investigated regarding SB.
Methods:
Plasma BDNF concentrations were analysed in 61 recent suicide attempters. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale. Personality dimensions were assessed using the Marke-Nyman Temperament Scale.
Results:
Plasma BDNF correlated positively and significantly with the personality dimension Solidity but not with the other personality dimensions or with clinical symptoms.
Conclusion:
BDNF plays an important role in the regulation of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis in humans. Our results indicate that lower BDNF concentrations are associated with higher levels of impulsiveness and changeability (low scores on the Solidity scale). Furthermore, low plasma BDNF levels may be proposed as a trait marker rather than a state marker for attempted suicide.
More Related Videos
13:46An Improved Protocol to Purify and Directly Mono-Biotinylate Recombinant BDNF in a Tube for Cellular Trafficking Studies in Neurons
Published on: July 11, 2020
11:44Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B
Published on: January 19, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
Psychosurgery
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
Introduction to Biological Bases of Psychology
The nervous system, the cornerstone of...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia