SynthesisCellular and molecular neurobiology2017
Meta-Analysis of BDNF Levels in Autism.
Synthesis in Cellular and molecular neurobiology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- In Search of Biomarkers to Guide Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.The American journal of psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Association of neonatal blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor with development of autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2021Pooled it
- Concurrent Assessment of Neurotrophic Factors and HPA-Axis Hormones in Early Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- A Review of the Effects of Maternal and Paternal Obesity on Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Related Neurobiology in Rodent and Human Offspring.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Review
- Article
- Investigating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) changes in three main rodent models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a systematic review.Neurotoxicity research · 2026Review
- Immune-related mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation in the intestinal microenvironment as a potential intervention for autism spectrum disorder patients.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Neurotrophins in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Narrative Review of the Literature.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Mdga2 deficiency leads to an aberrant activation of BDNF/TrkB signaling that underlies autism-relevant synaptic and behavioral changes in mice.PLoS biology · 2025Article
- Platelet Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Is There a Specific Association with Autism Spectrum Psychopathology?Biomedicines · 2024Article
- Article
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Mechanisms of Autistic-like Behavior in BTBR Mice: Crosstalk with the Dopaminergic Brain System.Biomedicines · 2023Article
- Individual differences and knockout in zebrafish reveal similar cognitive effects of BDNF between teleosts and mammals.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2022Article
- Increased Serum Levels of miR-125b and miR-132 in Fragile X Syndrome: A Preliminary Study.Neurology. Genetics · 2022Article
- Excitatory and Inhibitory Synaptic Imbalance Caused by Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Deficits During Development in a Valproic Acid Mouse Model of Autism.Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2022Article
- Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences · 2022Article
- Muscle strength and executive function in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2021Article
- Combining in vitro assays and mathematical modelling to study developmental neurotoxicity induced by chemical mixtures.Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) · 2021Article
- The contribution of platelets to peripheral BDNF elevation in children with autism spectrum disorder.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- A Role of BDNF in the Depression Pathogenesis and a Potential Target as Antidepressant: The Modulator of Stress Sensitivity "Shati/Nat8l-BDNF System" in the Dorsal Striatum.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) centrally mediates growth, differentiation and survival of neurons, and the synaptic plasticity that underlies learning and memory. Recent meta-analyses have reported significantly lower peripheral BDNF among individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, compared with controls. To evaluate the role of BDNF in autism, and to compare autism to psychotic-affective disorders with regard to BDNF, we conducted a meta-analysis of BDNF levels in autism. Inclusion criteria were met by 15 studies, which included 1242 participants. The meta-analysis estimated a significant summary effect size of 0.33 (95 % CI 0.21-0.45, P < 0.001), suggesting higher BDNF in autism than in controls. The studies showed notable heterogeneity, but no evidence of publication biases. Higher peripheral BDNF in autism is concordant with several neurological and psychological theories on the causes and symptoms of this condition, and it contrasts notably with the lower levels of BDNF found in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
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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.