As an increasing number of adults are living to advanced ages, cognitive decline and dementia have emerged as a major, world-wide public health challenge. There is a growing need to understand mechanisms that promote brain health and reduce the risk of disease. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical neurotrophin that supports neuronal survival, differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis throughout the lifespan. It plays a central role in memory and other cognitive functions and promotes overall brain resilience. BDNF is synthesized as a precursor, proBDNF, that is cleaved into mature BDNF. ProBDNF and mature BDNF exert distinct, largely opposing, biological effects via different receptors. 

Up to 45% of risk factors for dementia are potentially modifiable. Non-pharmacologic/lifestyle interventions shown to enhance cognition and reduce dementia risk may be mediated, in part, by their impact on BDNF levels and signaling. Physical exercise is the most consistently validated intervention, robustly increasing BDNF expression in both animal models and humans. In addition, cognitively stimulating activities, diet, adequate sleep, stress reduction, and mindfulness-based practices appear to positively influence BDNF regulation, potentially contributing to cognitive reserve and mental health.  

The first part of this talk will review data on dementia prevalence and modifiable risk factors. It will discuss relevant examples of our labs’ research and highlight evidence for BDNF’s role as an important mediating factor in brain health and disease. The second part of the talk will address the methodological challenges of accurate detection and quantification of BDNF, especially the limited specificity of conventional approaches for measuring mature vs. proBDNF in serum or plasma. It will discuss the application of a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) optimized for the detection of BDNF in saliva, a non-invasive and easily accessible biofluid. This presentation aims to inform ongoing efforts to develop scalable and minimally invasive biomarkers of brain health, particularly in the context of lifestyle-based interventions. 

Learning objectives:

1. To define modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia.

2. To assess the role of BDNF in promoting cognitive and brain health and understand the ways in which lifestyle interventions may influence BDNF levels.

3. To learn about the different methods in which BDNF can be measured in biofluids and the related challenges.

4. To evaluate the potential of salivary BDNF as a potential biomarker for brain health.