title: Acute prefrontal cortex transcranial magnetic stimulation in healthy volunteers: no effects on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations in serum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a brain stimulation technique widely used to treat depression. BDNF serum concentrations have been shown to be decreased in patients with major depressive disorder and can be upregulated by several antidepressive treatment strategies including repetitive TMS.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study we were interested whether acute TMS evolves effects on serum BDNF concentrations in 42 healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean BDNF serum concentration in 19 male and 23 female volunteers was 10.70+/-3.6 ng/ml (n=42) at baseline, and 10.76+/-3.9 ng/ml (n=42) after TMS treatment. BDNF serum levels did not change after acute TMS (n=42, Z=-0.44, p=0.965). BDNF serum concentrations at baseline did not differ between male (n=19, 10.05+/-2.6 ng/ml) and female (n=23, 11.25+/-4.27 ng/ml) participants of the study (n=42, Z=-0.91, p=0.363).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our result suggests that TMS does not change BDNF serum concentrations immediately in healthy human volunteers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. undine.lang@charite.de
authors.forename: Undine E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hellweg
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallinat
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajbouj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*