Oxidative Stress and BDNF as Putative Biomarkers of Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescent Bipolar Disorder
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Executive dysfunction is common and impairing in bipolar disorder (BD), and its pathophysiology is poorly understood. Oxidative stress (OS) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been implicated in executive deficits of adult BD, but have not been studied in youth. Serum levels of OS and BDNF were measured in 30 BD and 25 healthy control (HC) adolescents. The intra-extra-dimensional (IED) set-shifting task assessed executive function, particularly cognitive flexibility. High and low BDNF subgroups were defined by median split. IED performance was impaired in BD subjects. LPH and BDNF had opposite correlations in BD and control subjects. LPH and IED performance was oppositely correlated between BD and control subjects. These correlations became stronger when parsed by BDNF. LPH and BDNF have an altered interaction in BD that is relevant to executive function. Antioxidant interventions to improve executive function may be warranted, especially when guided by BDNF levels.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Dwight F. Newton
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2773113028