title: BDNF Val66Met allele is associated with reduced hippocampal volume in healthy subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A frequent polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene (val(66)met) has been suggested to modulate hippocampal neuronal plasticity and has been associated with individual variations in emotional reactivity traits and episodic memory.
  
  
  METHODS
  The hippocampal formation was outlined in high-resolution anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in a sample of 36 healthy volunteers and compared between individuals as a function of the presence of the met-BDNF allele. Both whole-brain volume corrected and uncorrected data were tested for effects of genotype, sex, and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The met-BDNF allele was associated with an 11% reduction in the volume of the hippocampal formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of a relatively small sample size, the presence of the met-BDNF allele was found associated with a reduced volume of the hippocampal formation in healthy volunteers and may represent a vulnerability factor for the development of disease processes associated with the dysfunction of this brain region.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research Institute, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bueller
authors.forename: Macksood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aftab
authors.forename: Srijan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gomez-Hassan
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burmeister
authors.forename: Jon-Kar
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Zubieta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine