title: BDNF Serum Levels with Respect to Multidimensional Assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The clinical presentation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by high heterogeneity, the greatest part of which still remains unexplained.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in ALS patients, implementing a multidimensional characterization focused on four a priori chosen elements of phenotypic variability: ALS bulbar/spinal subtype, cognitive impairment, mood dysfunction and disease progression speed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were obtained from 45 ALS outpatients (16% bulbar onset) and 22 healthy controls. Each patient underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and disease progression speed was estimated by calculating the decay of the ALSFRS-R score over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BDNF serum levels did not differ between patients and controls, although ∼25% lower levels characterized those patients carrying a depressive trait. Finally, BDNF serum levels were significantly lower in ALS patients expressing lower ALSFRS-R scores (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). No differences were found when considering cognitive impairment, disease progression speed and site of onset.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BDNF serum levels might mark and possibly contribute in part to ALS phenotypic variability.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tremolizzo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arosio
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerardi
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lunetta
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magni
authors.forename: Ildebrando
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Appollonio
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrarese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010045:Outpatients; D010641:Phenotype; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human