Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24702987›Full record

Trial reportEuropean neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology2014

BDNF plasma levels after antidepressant treatment with sertraline and transcranial direct current stimulation: results from a factorial, randomized, sham-controlled trial.

André R Brunoni, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Carlos A Zarate, Erica L M Vieira, Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt, Michael A Nitsche, Leandro Valiengo, Isabela M Benseñor, Paulo A Lotufo, Wagner F Gattaz and 1 more

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
5.0field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.

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  9. The Therapeutic Effect of High-definition 1-Hz Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in PTSD: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
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  15. Precision non-implantable neuromodulation therapies: a perspective for the depressed brain.Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999) · 2020
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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

11 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

André R BrunoniCenter for Clinical and Epidemiological Research & Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation (CINA), University Hospital, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Service of Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation (SIN), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: brunoni@usp.br.
Rodrigo Machado-VieiraLaboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Carlos A ZarateExperimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Erica L M VieiraInterdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Faculty of Medicine of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Marie-Anne VanderhasseltDepartment of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
Michael A NitscheDepartment of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August University, Goettingen, Germany.
Leandro ValiengoCenter for Clinical and Epidemiological Research & Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation (CINA), University Hospital, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Service of Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation (SIN), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Isabela M BenseñorCenter for Clinical and Epidemiological Research & Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation (CINA), University Hospital, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Paulo A LotufoCenter for Clinical and Epidemiological Research & Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation (CINA), University Hospital, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Wagner F GattazLaboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Antonio L TeixeiraInterdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Faculty of Medicine of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Universidade de São Paulo · BRFaculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais · BRNational Institute of Mental Health · USGhent University · BEUniversity of Göttingen · DE

Funding

Target validation of novel therapeutic agents in mood disordersZIAMH002927 · NIMH · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH · PI ZARATE, CARLOS · 2010 to 2025
$37.1M
Intramural NIH HHS Z99 MH999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation intervention that modifies cortical excitability according to the stimulation parameters. Preclinical and clinical studies in healthy volunteers suggest that tDCS induces neuroplastic alterations of cortical excitability, which might explain its clinical effects in major depressive disorder (MDD). We therefore examined whether tDCS, as compared to the antidepressant sertraline, increases plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, a neurotrophin associated with neuroplasticity. Patients (n=73) with major depressive disorder were randomized to active/sham tDCS and sertraline/placebo (four groups) in this 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. We measured BDNF plasma levels at baseline and endpoint, observing no significant changes of BDNF levels after treatment. In addition, no significant changes were observed in responders and non-responders as well as no relationships between BDNF levels and clinical and psychopathological variables related to depression. Thus, in one of the few placebo-controlled trials evaluating BDNF changes over an antidepressant treatment course, we did not observe BDNF increase regardless of clinical improvement in depressed patients. Regarding tDCS, BDNF plasma levels might not be a good candidate biomarker to evaluate depression improvement or be a predictor of response in patients treated with tDCS, as our results showed that BDNF increase was not necessary to induce clinical response. Finally, our findings do not support a relationship between BDNF and improvement of depression.

Indexed as

Transcranial Direct Current StimulationAdultAntidepressive AgentsBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansMajor Depressive DisorderMaleMiddle AgedSertralineTreatment OutcomeAntidepressive AgentsBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorSertralineBrain-derived neurotrophic factorMajor depressive disorderNeuroplasticityNon-invasive brain stimulationSertralineTranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID24702987
PMCPMC4081041
OpenAlexW1992883071

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.