Comparison of serum BDNF levels in deficit and nondeficit chronic schizophrenia and healthy controls

The aim of this study was to compare serum BDNF levels of chronic schizophrenic patients, with or without deficit syndrome, and healthy controls. A comparative study of serum BDNF levels, determined by ELISA, was performed in 47 chronic patients with schizophrenia matched with 47 healthy controls. A part of the chronic schizophrenic sample was further divided into patients with a deficit (n=14) and a nondeficit syndrome (n=20), according to the Proxy for the Deficit Syndrome Scale. A significant difference was observed in decreased serum BDNF levels between chronic schizophrenia and healthy controls. No statistical significant differences in BDNF levels between deficit and nondeficit chronic schizophrenic patients were found. Our study confirms differences of serum BDNF levels of chronic schizophrenia and healthy controls, which correspond to the clinical progression of the disease. Our results do not support a relation between deficit profile in chronic schizophrenia and lower serum BDNF levels.