Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or shock therapy, remains a critical biomedical intervention for severe, treatment-resistant depression. While its origins can be traced back to Hippocrates' observations that malaria-induced convulsions alleviated mental illness, modern ECT has evolved significantly from its earlier, more primitive applications. First introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and his colleagues, ECT involves inducing controlled seizures using electrical currents. In its early...

Brain Imaging

Brain Imaging

Brain imaging technologies provide critical insights into both the structure and function of the human brain, enabling medical professionals and researchers to diagnose, study, and treat neurological disorders or psychiatric disorders more effectively.
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Replicable subcortical alterations linked to neurological soft signs in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Psychological medicine·2026

Same author

Game-based learning in undergraduate medical education: evaluation of an interdisciplinary escape room.

BMC medical education·2025

Same author

Participatory development and proof-of-concept of a dyadic-based, AI-driven, just-in-time adaptive intervention mechanism for preventing anxiety and depressive disorders via app: study protocol for a feasibility study.

Frontiers in public health·2025

Same author

Characterization of cognitive functioning in complex PTSD compared to non-complex PTSD.

Frontiers in psychiatry·2025

Same author

Effects of high intensity interval training on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in individuals with PTSD.

Journal of psychiatric research·2024

Same author

The mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between past professional training and burnout resilience in medical education: a multicentre cross-sectional study.

BMC medical education·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 27, 2025

Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide

Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide

Published on: November 29, 2024

Exercise elevates serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in partially remitted depression.

Benedikt Alexander Kramer¹, Anna Jaehn¹, Thea Marianne Grützner¹

¹Research Group Neurocognition, Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, Heidelberg 69115, Germany.

Psychiatry Research

|June 7, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Exercise can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Strenuous physical activity significantly elevated serum BDNF in participants with partially remitted MDD.

Keywords:

Biomarkers Blood serum Physical activity

More Related Videos

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B

Published on: January 19, 2022

Implantation of Miniosmotic Pumps and Delivery of Tract Tracers to Study Brain Reorganization in Pathophysiological Conditions

Implantation of Miniosmotic Pumps and Delivery of Tract Tracers to Study Brain Reorganization in Pathophysiological Conditions

Published on: January 18, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 27, 2025

Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide

Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide

Published on: November 29, 2024

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B

Published on: January 19, 2022

Implantation of Miniosmotic Pumps and Delivery of Tract Tracers to Study Brain Reorganization in Pathophysiological Conditions

Implantation of Miniosmotic Pumps and Delivery of Tract Tracers to Study Brain Reorganization in Pathophysiological Conditions

Published on: January 18, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychiatry
Exercise Physiology

Background:

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is linked to reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels.
Exercise is known to increase BDNF in healthy individuals.
Understanding BDNF response to exercise in MDD is crucial for treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of physical activity intensity on serum BDNF levels in adults with partially remitted MDD.
To determine if exercise can elevate BDNF in individuals with a history of depression.

Main Methods:

Thirty-seven participants with partially remitted MDD were enrolled.
Participants engaged in either strenuous or light physical activity.
Serum BDNF levels were measured before and after the activity using ELISA.

Main Results:

A significant increase in serum BDNF was observed in the strenuous activity group.
Light activity did not yield a significant BDNF elevation.
This confirms exercise-induced BDNF elevation in MDD patients.

Conclusions:

Strenuous physical activity can effectively elevate serum BDNF levels in individuals with partially remitted MDD.
Exercise represents a potential non-pharmacological intervention to modulate BDNF in depression.
Further research should explore the therapeutic implications of exercise-induced BDNF changes in MDD.