Plasma levels of specific neurotrophins influenced the transition to mental disorders in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis.
Psychiatrists, psychosis researchers, biomarker developers, and families of at-risk individuals.
Biomarker potentialPlasma neurotrophin levels were associated with transition to mental disorders in ultra-high risk individuals
What the researchers found
Plasma levels of neurotrophin 4/5, NGF, and pro-BDNF were associated with transition to mental disorders in individuals identified as ultra-high risk for psychosis, suggesting potential biomarker applications for risk prediction.
Why it matters
Identifying biomarkers that predict which at-risk individuals will develop psychotic disorders could enable targeted early intervention and prevention strategies.
The numbers in context
The study measured plasma levels of neurotrophin 4/5, NGF (nerve growth factor), and pro-BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor precursor) in ultra-high risk individuals.
How the study worked
Prospective cohort study measuring plasma neurotrophin levels in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis and tracking diagnostic outcomes.
Who was studied
Individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis, tracked for transition to mental disorders.
What this study cannot tell us
Plasma levels may not reflect brain neurotrophin activity; UHR criteria identify a heterogeneous group; small sample sizes typical of UHR research limit statistical power.
How to read the evidence
Prospective cohort design provides moderate evidence; small sample sizes in UHR research limit generalizability.
When this study was published
Recent study contributing to psychosis biomarker research.
The bigger picture
This research contributes to the broader goal of developing blood-based biomarkers for psychosis risk, which could transform psychiatric practice from reactive treatment to predictive prevention.
Replication
Adds to growing psychosis biomarker literature; neurotrophin findings need replication in larger UHR samples.
Funding
Not specified
Conflicts of interest
Not specified
Questions still open
- Could neurotrophin-based screening identify high-risk individuals before symptoms?
- Do cannabis or other substances affect neurotrophin levels in UHR individuals?
- Can neurotrophin levels guide treatment decisions?
Read the original research
Plasma levels of neurotrophin 4/5, NGF and pro-BDNF influence transition to mental disorders in a sample of individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis.
Psychiatry research, 327, 115402
Citation
Loch, Alexandre Andrade; Pinto, Marcel Tavares Camilo; Andrade, Julio Cesar; de Jesus, Leonardo Peroni; de Medeiros, Matheus Wanderley; Haddad, Natalia Mansur; Bilt, Martinus Theodorus van de; Talib, Leda Leme; Gattaz, Wagner Farid. (2023). Plasma levels of neurotrophin 4/5, NGF and pro-BDNF influence transition to mental disorders in a sample of individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis.. Psychiatry research, 327, 115402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115402