Darian Valencia and His Insights #3
What's up guys! My name is Darian and I'm a second year undergraduate at my local community college out here in San Francisco, California. I am looking to transfer to a 4-year university for neuroscience next year as a pre-med student. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with my friends, working out, and thrifting.
Reviewed Article: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in schizophrenia research: a quantitative review and future directions
Main Argument & Findings:
The objective of this article was to perform an in-depth analysis of "Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in schizophrenia" research. Schizophrenia is a neurological and psychiatric disorder that negatively alters the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and reacts. It is a worldwide illness that affects approximately 1 in every 222 adults. Hallucinations are also regularly associated with schizophrenia, causing those affected to become out of touch with reality, delirious, anxious, frantic, and more. BDNF, meanwhile, is a neurotrophin that regulates neuronal activity in an individual's mature nervous system. It regulates this activity through development and maintenance, and it overall mediates neuroplasticity in the central nervous system. BDNF, therefore, may contribute to the pathophysiology (concerning processes and bodily functions caused by disease/injury) of schizophrenia.
The article sought to answer the questions:
1. "What are the main subjects and themes of the research on BDNF and schizophrenia?"
2. "What are the important strong research areas in the field of BDNF and schizophrenia?"
3. "What are the research trends and changes in the authors' knowledge network related to recent literature on schizophrenia and BDNF?"
The article analyzed over 335 documents/research articles about schizophrenia and BDNF, and overall, found that research and recent literature have advanced significantly. Some main themes related to BDNF in schizophrenia that contributed to these advancements include BDNF's role as a neurobiological marker (i.e., treatment monitoring, risk factors, and more), as well as cognition in schizophrenia. Through this in-depth analysis of hundreds of research documents, the article suggests that future studies investigate the "novel potential roles of BDNF in schizophrenia" to dive deeper into the topic and expand scientific developments. Notably, it lists the inclusion of the "regulation of inflammation, modulation of mitochondria function, epigenetic regulation, and regulation of neural oscillations" as essential research areas to focus on in the field of BDNF and schizophrenia.
Importance for Youth:
This article is important for the youth to acknowledge because it analyzes research related to schizophrenia, a major cognitive disorder. Even for youth who aren't interested in science and medical development, this is incredibly important, as schizophrenia can affect anyone and indirectly affect those close to them. If the youth can acknowledge some of the takeaways from this article, they can better comprehend how the brain works and look into research that targets certain brain-derived factors that prompt different mental health issues beyond schizophrenia to occur. Research like this can always lead to great scientific advancements that'll better the lives of humans in the present and in the future.
What I Learned:
This article taught me what BDNF is, along with the influence it has on psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia. I had a surface-level understanding of schizophrenia, such as what it was and the side effects surrounding the disease, but this article allowed me to view it from a more neurological and biological perspective. The analysis conducted in this article demonstrates how science is expanding our understanding of mental, cognitive, and psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, this article slowly but surely demonstrates how humans are learning more about the brain, as it remains the most unknown, complex, and vital organ of the entire human body.
Citations: Ahmad, R., Azman, K. F., Yahaya, R., Shafin, N., Omar, N., Ahmad, A. H., Zakaria, R., Wijaya, A., & Othman, Z. (2023). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in schizophrenia research: a quantitative review and future directions. AIMS Neuroscience, 10(1), 5-32. https://doi.org/10.3934/neuroscience.2023002
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darian-valencia-5a40912aa/