Posted by SLS on January 27, 2009, at 7:17:40
In reply to Re: Blood BDNF reflects brain: Potential Treatment, posted by desolationrower on January 26, 2009, at 22:14:40
> BDNF in the striatum i think is associated with post-social defeat anxiety learning. blocking BDNF prevented adverse effects.
This is all very nice, but what does that have to do with my first post? Nothing.
What adverse effects? It is a "no brainer" that the lack of BNDF or its receptor prevents LEARNING. What you describe, post-social defeat learning, is exactly that. Cut off BDNF, and nobody learns nuttin', even the most uncomfortable and counterproductive of lessons.
Apparantly BDNF is not by itself a cause for depression and mania, but is associated with different mood states and is necessary for antidepressants to do their work. There is a dichotomy of functions of BDNF on stress and reward systems, as proBDNF and BDNF oppose each other. Again, though, this in no way refutes the observations and conclusions of those investigators who contributed to the work I wrote about in my first post.
I sure don't know everything there is to know about BDNF, however, I hope my brain levels of it increase so that I can come closer to doing so.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:876377
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/876510.html