BDNF serum levels in schizophrenic patients during treatment augmentation with sarcosine (results of the PULSAR study).
Finding a relationship between schizophrenia symptoms severity and initial level of BDNF and its changes during augmentation of antipsychotic treatment with sarcosine.



57 individuals with schizophrenia with predominantly negative symptoms completed a 6-month RCT prospective study. The patients received 2g of sarcosine (n=27) or placebo (n=30) daily. At the beginning, after 6 weeks and 6 months BDNF levels were measured. Severity of symptoms was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS).



BDNF serum levels were stable after 6 weeks and 6 months in both groups. We noted improvement in negative symptoms, general psychopathology and total PANSS score in sarcosine group comparing to placebo, however there was no correlations between serum BDNF concentrations and PANSS scores in all assessments. Initial serum BDNF concentrations cannot be used as a predictor of the improvement resulting from adding sarcosine.



Our results indicate that either BDNF is not involved in the NMDA-dependent mechanism of sarcosine action or global changes in BDNF concentrations induced by amino-acid cannot be detected in blood assessments.
Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: dominik.strzelecki@umed.lodz.pl.
Dominik
D
Strzelecki
Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.
Olga
O
Kałużyńska
Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.
Adam
A
Wysokiński
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human; D012521:Sarcosine
BDNF; Glutamatergic system; NMDA receptor; Negative symptoms; Sarcosine; Schizophrenia