Study detects how a genetic variant modifies the brain stimulation
impact on memory

Date:
January 25, 2022
Source:
University of Barcelona
Summary:
The gene of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is
associated with several processes related to memory and brain
plasticity. Now, a new article reveals that it is easier to alter
the cognitive activity through transcranial magnetic stimulation
(TMS) in people with the genetic variant Val/Val for the BDNF gene.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The gene of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated
with several processes related to memory and brain plasticity. Now, a
paper reveals that it is easier to alter the cognitive activity through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in people with the genetic
variant Val/Val for the BDNF gene.


==========================================================================
The article, published in the journal Scientific Reports, is led by the researcher Kilian Abellaneda, member of the Barcelona Brain Stimulation
Lab (BBSLab), coordinated by David Bartre's-Faz, professor at the
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and researcher at the Institute
of Neurosciences of the Universitat de Barcelona (UBNeuro), and member
of the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS). The
study counts on the participation of teams from the Hospital Cli'nic de Barcelona, Guttmann Institute, the Harvard School of Medicine (United
States) and the universities of Siena, Trento and La Sapienza (Italy),
among other institutions.

TMS is a non-invasive technique that helps to a better understanding
of the brain activity and it has multiple applications in the study of cognitive processes and neuropsychological rehabilitation. As part of
the study, using techniques of functional neuroimaging, the team could
confirm that under the effects of neurostimulation, theVal/Val allele
variant carriers showed a greater brain activity in processes in which
memory is used -- specifically in the brain regions contralateral
to stimulation -- , a feature that would be related to functional
compensation brain processes.

"We believe the obtained data in this study provides relevant information
on the neurobiological mechanisms related to the neuroplasticity
processes that explain the individual differences regarding the effects
of stimulation at a cognitive level. Therefore, the new results could be
of great interest in order to design future interventions that prioritize
the highest level of customization," notes Kilian Abellaneda, member of
the Department of Medicine of the UB and IDIBAPS.

This study is part of a European collaboration in the Pharmacog project,
within the field of neurodegenerative diseases. One of the objectives
of this project is to develop experimental platforms to modify, in a
controlled way, cognitive functions in humans and the underlying brain processes, in order to use them later to study the effect of future
drugs in the early stages of their development.

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========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kilian Abellaneda-Pe'rez, Pablo Martin-Trias, Catherine
Casse'-Perrot,
Li'dia Vaque'-Alca'zar, Laura Lanteaume, Elisabeth Solana, Claudio
Babiloni, Roberta Lizio, Carme Junque', Nu'ria Bargallo', Paolo
Maria Rossini, Joe"lle Micallef, Romain Truillet, Estelle Charles,
Elisabeth Jouve, Re'gis Bordet, Joan Santamaria, Simone Rossi,
Alvaro Pascual- Leone, Olivier Blin, Jill Richardson, Jorge
Jovicich, David Bartre's-Faz.

BDNF Val66Met gene polymorphism modulates brain activity following
rTMS- induced memory impairment. Scientific Reports, 2022; 12 (1)
DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-021-04175-x ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220125093009.htm

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