title: No effect of escitalopram versus placebo on brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy individuals: a randomised trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) seems to play an important role in the course of depression including the response to antidepressants in patients with depression. We aimed to study the effect of an antidepressant intervention on peripheral BDNF in healthy individuals with a family history of depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured changes in BDNF messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and whole-blood BDNF levels in 80 healthy first-degree relatives of patients with depression randomly allocated to receive daily tablets of escitalopram 10 mg versus placebo for 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no statistically significant difference between the escitalopram and the placebo group in the change in BDNF mRNA expression and whole-blood BDNF levels. Post hoc analyses showed a statistically significant negative correlation between plasma escitalopram concentration and change in whole-blood BDNF levels in the escitalopram-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this randomised trial suggest that escitalopram 10 mg has no effect on peripheral BDNF levels in healthy individuals.
authors.affiliation: 1Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Knorr
authors.affiliation: 1Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koefoed
authors.affiliation: 2Neuropsychiatric Laboratory,Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology,Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Mia H Greisen
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Soendergaard
authors.affiliation: 1Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Maj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinberg
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology,University of Copenhagen,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Ulrik
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gether
authors.affiliation: 4Copenhagen Trial Unit,Centre for Clinical Intervention Research,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gluud
authors.affiliation: 4Copenhagen Trial Unit,Centre for Clinical Intervention Research,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wetterslev
authors.affiliation: 4Copenhagen Trial Unit,Centre for Clinical Intervention Research,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Winkel
authors.affiliation: 1Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen University Hospital,Copenhagen,Denmark.
authors.forename: Lars V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kessing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D015283:Citalopram / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003863:Depression / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D015283:Citalopram; C579455:BDNF protein, human
keywords: affective disorders; brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); escitalopram; healthy; trial