Neurotrophic factors (BDNF) and disorders of residual psychological development of the child

Abstract

Objective: highlight the relationship between mixed specific psycho-developmental disorders in children and BDNF. Materials and methods: We assessed BDNF serum levels via immunoenzymatic method in 48 children (study group) presenting residual mixed specific psycho-developmental disorders (aged between 2 and 5 years old) and 25 healthy children (control group). Results: Patients from study group presented: language retardation, emotional, cognitive and behavioral disorders. An overall analysis showed that BDNF serum levels were significantly lower in children from study group in comparison to controls (p<.05). Significantly low levels of serum BDNF were noted in children with severe cognitive disorders frequently associated with language disorders. Moreover, neuroimaging data revealed abnormalities of nerve tissue maturation. There is statistical evidence that psychological disorders are negatively correlated with serum BDNF levels. Thus, BDNF represents an important marker of child’s psychological development. Conclusions: Our data confirm the role of BDNF on the child’s psychological development (it contributes to nerve fibers maturation language, behavior and emotional centers). We suggest that low levels of BDNF influence the synaptic plasticity and the interaction between neural and glial cells, thereby playing a decisive role in the complex child’s behavior including language acquisition, cognition, affect etc. BDNF studies could have an important implication in the comprehension of psycho-developmental disorders, as well as in the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.