Reduced hippocampal volumes in healthy carriers of brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism: meta-analysis
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVES: Converging evidence suggests that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene Val66Met polymorphism affects brain structure. Yet the majority of studies have shown no effect of this polymorphism on hippocampal volumes, perhaps due to small effect size. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of studies investigating the association between Val66Met BDNF polymorphism and hippocampal volumes in healthy subjects by combining standardized differences between means (SDM) from individual studies using random effect models. RESULTS: Data from 399 healthy subjects (255 Val-BDNF homozygotes and 144 carriers of at least one Met-BDNF allele) in seven studies were meta-analysed. Both the left and right hippocampi were significantly larger in Val-BDNF homozygotes than in carriers of at least one Met-BDNF allele (SDM = 0.41, 95% Confidence Interval = 0.20; 0.62, z = 3.86, P = 0.0001; SDM = 0.41; 95% Confidence Interval = 0.20; 0.61, z = 3.81, P = 0.0001, respectively), with no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy carriers of BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism show bilateral hippocampal volume reduction. The effect size was small, but the same direction of effect was seen in all meta-analyzed studies. The association with the BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism makes hippocampal volume a potential candidate for an endophenotype of disorders presenting with reduced hippocampal volumes.
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In a meta-analysis of 399 healthy participants, met carriers were found to have significantly decreased hippocampal volumes.
“In a meta-analysis of 399 healthy participants, met carriers were found to have significantly decreased hippocampal volumes (Hajek et al., 2012).”
From Exercise-Mediated Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus via BDNF (2018) · cites this paper as Hajek et al., 2012
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- Authors
- Hajek, T., Kopecek, M., & Höschl, C.
- Affiliations
- Charles University (CZ)
- ORCID
- Höschl, Cyril
- Venue
- The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2011-07-04
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 178-187
- ISSN
- 1562-2975 (ISSN-L)
- 1814-1412
- PMC
- PMC4831902
- OpenAlex
- W2155855194
- Cited by
- 99
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 1.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Research Nova Scotia
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (103703)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nerve injury and regeneration
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, hippocampal volume, genetic association, endophenotypes, asymptomatic carriers, standardized mean difference, brain structure
- MeSH terms
- Genotype, Heterozygote, Hippocampus, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Organ Size, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Mutation, Missense, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Endophenotypes
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