title: Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Serum Levels and Hippocampal Volume in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia due to Alzheimer Disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hippocampal atrophy is a recognized biomarker of Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduction has been associated with neurodegeneration. We aimed to evaluate BDNF serum levels and hippocampal volume in clinical AD (dementia and mild cognitive impairment [MCI]).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 10 patients with MCI and 13 with dementia due to AD as well as 10 healthy controls. BDNF serum levels were determined by ELISA and volumetric measures with NeuroQuant®.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MCI and dementia patients presented lower BDNF serum levels than healthy participants; dementia patients presented a smaller hippocampal volume than MCI patients and healthy participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support that the decrease in BDNF might start before the establishment of neuronal injury expressed by the hippocampal reduction.
authors.affiliation: Dementia Clinic, Neurology Service, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ericksen Mielle
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Borba
authors.affiliation: Radiology Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Avila
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giovana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bristot
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scotton
authors.affiliation: Dementia Clinic, Neurology Service, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Luiza
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Camozzato
authors.affiliation: Dementia Clinic, Neurology Service, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Internal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcia Lorena Fagundes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chaves
keywords: Alzheimer disease; Blood biomarker; Brain atrophy; Hippocampus; Mild cognitive impairment