ArticleNeuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society2022
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene Polymorphism Predicts Response to Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation in Chronic Stroke Patients.
Article in Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Role of Genetics in Stroke Risk and Outcome: A Review of Current Evidence.Brain and behavior · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Neuropsychological Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Brain and behavior · 2025Pooled it
- Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Translational Cognitive Neuroscience-Applications in Aphasia and Beyond: 2025 H. Houston Merritt Award Lecture.Neurology · 2026Article
- The Role of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor Polymorphism in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Response for Major Depressive Disorder.The journal of ECT · 2026Article
- Pain Neuroscience Education Reduces Pain and Improves Psychological Variables but Does Not Induce Plastic Changes Measured by Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF): A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Modulation of cerebral cortex activity by acupuncture combined with continuous theta-burst stimulation in post-stroke upper limb spasticity: an fNIRS study.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Semantic and Phonological Abilities Inform Efficacy of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Sustained Aphasia Treatment Outcomes.Neurobiology of language (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2025Article
- Interventions for Neural Plasticity in Stroke Recovery.Archives of internal medicine research · 2025Article
- Molecular Changes in the Ischemic Brain as Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Targets-TMS and tDCS Mechanisms, Therapeutic Challenges, and Combination Therapies.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Genetic and Neurophysiological Biomarkers of Neuroplasticity Inform Post-Stroke Language Recovery.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesThe efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in clinically relevant neuroplasticity research depends on the degree to which stimulation induces robust, reliable effects. The high degree of interindividual and intraindividual variability observed in response to rTMS protocols, such as continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), therefore represents an obstacle to its utilization as treatment for neurological disorders. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein involved in human synaptic and neural plasticity, and a common polymorphism in the BDNF gene (Val66Met) may influence the capacity for neuroplastic changes that underlie the effects of cTBS and other rTMS protocols. While evidence from healthy individuals suggests that Val66Met polymorphism carriers may show diminished or facilitative effects of rTMS compared to their homozygous Val66Val counterparts, this has yet to be demonstrated in the patient populations where neuromodulatory therapies are most relevant. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe examined the effects of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on cTBS aftereffects in stroke patients. We compared approximately 30 log-transformed motor-evoked potentials (LnMEPs) obtained per time point: at baseline and at 0, 10, 20, and 30 min after cTBS-600, from 18 patients with chronic stroke using single TMS pulses. We used linear mixed-effects regression with trial-level data nested by subject for higher statistical power.
resultsWe found a significant interaction between BDNF genotype and pre-/post-cTBS LnMEPs. Val66Val carriers showed decrease in cortical excitability, whereas Val66Met carriers exhibited a modest increase in cortical excitability for 20 min poststimulation, followed by inhibition 30 min after cTBS-600.
conclusionsOur findings strongly suggest that BDNF genotype differentially affects neuroplastic responses to TMS in individuals with chronic stroke. This provides novel insight into potential sources of variability in cTBS response in patients, which has important implications for optimizing the utility of this neuromodulation approach. Incorporating BDNF polymorphism genetic screening to stratify patients prior to use of cTBS as a neuromodulatory technique in therapy or research may optimize response rates.
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