title: Serum Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor at 4 Weeks and Response to Treatment with SSRIs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is important to predict a response to an antidepressant in early time after starting the antidepressant. We previously reported that serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in responders to treatment with antidepressants were increased, whereas, those in nonresponders were not. Therefore, we hypothesized that the changes in serum levels of BDNF from baseline (T0) to 4 weeks (T4) after treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) predict the response to the treatment at 8 weeks (T8) in depressed patients. To confirm the hypothesis, we measured serum BDNF at T0, T4, and T8 during the treatment with SSRIs (paroxetine, sertraline, and fluvoxamine).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifty patients (M/F; 51/99, age; 50.4±15.1 years) met major depressive disorder (MDD) using by DSM-IV-TR enrolled in the present study. We measured serum BDNF concentrations at T0, T4, and T8 in patients with MDD treated with SSRIs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The changes in serum BDNF, age, sex, dose of SSRIs, and HAMD-17 score did not predict the response to SSRIs at T8.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the changes in serum BDNF levels from T0 to T4 could not predict the subsequent responses to SSRIs at T8.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.affiliation: Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York, USA. ; Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sugita-Ikenouchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Wakako
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Umene-Nakano
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyokazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atake
authors.affiliation: Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
authors.forename: Nakao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakamura
keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Depression; Response; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; Serum