Posted by linkadge on December 11, 2006, at 16:21:33
In reply to Re: ECT experience » linkadge, posted by dessbee on December 11, 2006, at 13:19:44
>Most neurobiologists consider BDNF a good thing.
>SSRI also triggers increased BDNF levels.Thats a bit of a generalization. SSRI's do not consistantly increase BDNF levels in all studies. They do increase BDNF in some studies, but in other studies they don't. In addition, some studies have found biphasic changes in BDNF levels in response to SSRI treatment. Ie, the drug initially boosts BDNF, but then the effect drops off.
For instance:
http://www.aapsj.org/view.asp?art=aapsj070242
"Coppell and coworkers84 replicated this finding in rats with repeated administration of tranylcypromine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or sertraline. Their data show BDNF mRNA levels were up-regulated in the hippocampus after long-term drug treatment. However, 4 hours after the last injection BDNF mRNA levels were down-regulated indicating that BDNF expression is differentially regulated in acute and chronic drug treatments."
Also, See:
http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/full/24/12/2866
"potentially representing the activation of genes involved in initiating or mediating myriad cascades activated after brain injury. These injury-activated molecular cascades represent the activation of immediate early genes such as c-fos and c-jun (Raghupathi et al., 1995), cytokines such as interleukin-1 and TNF (Fan et al., 1996; Raghupathi et al., 1998), and neurotropins such as NGF and BDNF (DeKosky et al., 1994; Oyesiku et al., 1999)."
Interestingly enought, ECT activates cfos, cjun, and BDNF, NGF, as well as GFAP, which is considered to be a sign of neronal injury.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/95/26/15635
"It has been reported recently that GFAP transcripts are induced to a similar degree after rTMS and ECS in astrocytes located in the hippocampus"
"GFAP in traumatic brain injury":
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/102/23/8333
"GFAP-positive cells increased by 83 ± 4.1% in the injured cortex compared with the controlateral region."
"Activation of such cells is responsible for reactive gliosis, characterized by hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunostaining. Reactive gliosis is observed after CNS injuries, including ischemia and trauma.
>I have read there is company working on >producing BDNF. It could be a efficient medicine >in many neurodegenerative diseases."
Think of it this way. An infection increases white blood cells count. White blood cells are considered "good". This doesn't mean that infection is good. Ie ECT may increase BDNF, and BDNF may be considered "good", that doesn't mean ECT is good.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:711494
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061206/msgs/712678.html