Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23958957›Full record

SynthesisMolecular psychiatry2014

Serum BDNF concentrations as peripheral manifestations of depression: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analyses on 179 associations (N=9484).

M L Molendijk, P Spinhoven, M Polak, B A A Bus, B W J H Penninx, B M Elzinga

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Molecular psychiatry, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 337 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
337citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
19.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04998097 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Changes in Serum miRNA and BDNF Levels in Bipolar II Depression Treated by Theta-burst Stimulation: A Randomized Sham-controlled Exploratory Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorKaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.Ran2022 to 2024Enrolled60ConditionsBipolar II Disorder, Most Recent Episode Major DepressiveArmsrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
NCT05855421 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy and Safety of Auricular Acupuncture in Depression During the Covid 19 Pandemic: a Multicenter Triple-blinded Randomized Clinical Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversidade do Sul de Santa CatarinaRan2023 to 2025Enrolled280ConditionsDepressive Symptoms, Depression, Anxiety, InsomniaArmsAuricular Acupuncture
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

337 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 676 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Charting the proteome landscape in major psychiatric disorders: From biomarkers to biological pathways towards drug discovery.European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2022
    Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Pooled it
  12. Pooled it
  13. Pooled it
  14. CSF galanin and noradrenaline downregulation by psilocybin therapy in major depressive disorder.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Trial
  15. Trial
  16. Trial
  17. Trial
  18. Trial
  19. Trial
  20. Trial

277 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

M L Molendijk1] Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands [2] Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
P Spinhoven1] Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands [2] Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands [3] Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
M PolakClinical, Health and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
B A A BusDepartment of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
B W J H Penninx1] Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands [2] Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam VU, Amsterdam, The Netherlands [3] University Center for Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
B M Elzinga1] Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands [2] Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Leiden University · NLLeiden University Medical Center · NLRadboud University Nijmegen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Meta-analyses, published in 2008-2010, have confirmed abnormally low serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations in depressed patients and normalization of this by antidepressant treatment. These findings are believed to reflect peripheral manifestations of the neurotrophin hypothesis, which states that depression is secondary to an altered expression of BDNF in the brain. Since the publication of these meta-analyses, the field has seen a huge increase in studies on these topics. This motivated us to update the evidence on the aforementioned associations and, in addition, to compile the data on serum BDNF concentrations in relation to the symptom severity of depression. Using a manifold of data as compared with earlier meta-analyses, we find low serum BDNF concentrations in 2384 antidepressant-free depressed patients relative to 2982 healthy controls and to 1249 antidepressant-treated depressed patients (Cohen's d=-0.71 and -0.56, P-values <0.0000001). When publication bias is accounted for, these effect-sizes become substantially smaller (d=-0.47 and -0.34, respectively, P-values<0.0001). We detect between-study heterogeneity in outcomes for which only year of publication and sample size are significant moderators, with more recent papers and larger samples sizes in general being associated with smaller between-group differences. Finally, the aggregated data negate consistent associations between serum BDNF concentrations and the symptom severity of depression. Our findings corroborate the claim that altered serum BDNF concentrations are peripheral manifestations of depression. However, here we highlight that the evidence for this claim is slimmer as was initially thought and amidst a lot of noise.

Indexed as

Antidepressive AgentsBiomarkersBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCase-Control StudiesDepressionHumansPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesPublication BiasAntidepressive AgentsBiomarkersBrain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Identifiers

PMID23958957
OpenAlexW2040649786

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.