Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Level in Children with Specific Learning Disabilities

Specific learning disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder frequently seen in childhood with deficits in many areas of functioning. Although the etiology of SLD is known to be multifactorial, research findings are limited. In this study, we aimed to compare the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in children with SLD to healthy children to find out whether BDNF has a role in the pathophysiology of SLD.

The study included 30 children between the ages of 7-12, diagnosed with SLD and 30 age and gender matched healthy controls. The groups were tested on the Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Interview Schedule for School-age Children-Now and Lifetime Form (K-SADS-PL), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-revised form (WISC-R), the Teacher Information Form (TIF) and the Specific Learning Difficulty Battery (SLDB).

No difference the serum BDNF levels in children with SLD and the healthy controls. BDNF levels did not correlate with the WISC-R scores and reading rate in the SLD group.

An association was not determined between SLD and and serum BDNF levels. Our study was the first to investigate this relationship and provided preliminary data on this topic. There is a need for further studies with large patient groups of phenotypic homogeneity.