Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 1018 - 1029
• Main Authors: Saghazadeh, Amene, Rezaei, Nima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Anatomy; Animal cognition; Anxiety Disorders; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - blood; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic children; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biochemistry; Biological markers; Biomarkers - blood; Blood; Brain; Brain Hemisphere Functions; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - blood; Child and School Psychology; Control; Control Groups; Developmental Disabilities; Discrepancies; Etiology; Evidence; Female; Genetic Disorders; Genetics; Humans; Hyperactivity; Information Seeking; Initiation; Interpersonal Relationship; Male; Mental Disorders; Meta Analysis; Metacognition; Networks; Neurology; Neurosciences; Observation; Observational studies; Original Paper; Patients; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Plasticity; Proteins; Psychology; Public Health; Qualitative Research; Rodents; Schizophrenia; Scientific Research; Search Strategies; Social Cognition; Statistical Analysis; Studies; Synaptic plasticity; Systematic review; Iran; Neuroplasticity; Autism; Systematic review; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-3024-x

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Altered blood BDNF levels have been frequently identified in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). There are however wide discrepancies in the evidence. Therefore, we performed the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at qualitative and quantitative synthesis of studies that measured blood BDNF levels in ASD and control subjects. Observational studies were identified through electronic database searching and also hand-searching of reference lists of relevant articles. A total of 183 papers were initially identified for review and eventually twenty studies were included in the meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of blood BDNF in 887 patients with ASD and 901 control subjects demonstrated significantly higher BDNF levels in ASD compared to controls with the SMD of 0.47 (95% CI 0.07–0.86, p = 0.02). In addition subgroup meta-analyses were performed based on the BDNF specimen. The present meta-analysis study led to conclusion that BDNF might play role in autism initiation/ propagation and therefore it can be considered as a possible biomarker of ASD.