Bioinformatics Approach to BDNF and BDNF-Related Disorders

Context: Currently, the keyword ‘BDNF’ retrieves 7388 publications in Pubmed, which point to many directions. Objective: This paper aims to uncover patterns that are hidden under this huge mass of studies and then to review the most prominent sub-topics in ‘BDNF and mental health’. Method: Several semi-automatic tools employed, in order to present: 1. A visual representation of BDNF's main molecular pathways; 2. A table with all the components of this pathway that are known to be associated with human diseases; 3. A conceptual map of the whole literature; 4. A histogram of the mental disorders that are known to be associated with BDNF, as well as a review of the literature on each one of these topics. Results: The conceptual map suggests that the field is divided in two major sections: BDNF molecular pathways, receptors, other neurotrophins and neurotransmitters; and BDNF-related disorders. Among the latter, the mental disorders that are mostly related to BDNF are: depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and bipolar disorder.