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Pick up to three peptides to see how their mechanisms, studied uses and evidence levels differ. Rows where the entries disagree are marked with a blue edge.
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Comparison
BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)
Cognitive & neuro
Evidence level
Anecdotal evidence
Approval status
Not approved
Mechanism of action
- 1.Binds the TrkB receptor, triggering survival and plasticity signalling in neurons.
- 2.Supports long-term potentiation, the cellular basis of learning.
- 3.Promotes dendritic branching and, in some regions, adult neurogenesis.
- 4.Its production rises with exercise, sleep and some antidepressants.
- 5.Delivery to the brain from the blood is the unsolved problem.
Studied for
- Depression and antidepressant response (as a measured biomarker)
- Exercise and cognition
- Alzheimer's disease and synaptic loss
- Motor neurone disease (intrathecal delivery attempts)
Reported effects
- Blood and brain BDNF correlate with memory performance and mood in observational studies
- Direct administration has not produced a usable therapeutic effect
- Intrathecal delivery in motor neurone disease trials caused pain, spasticity and weight loss
Side effects
- Not established for supplemental use
- Intrathecal administration produced pain, spasticity and weight loss in trials
- Seizure threshold changes are theoretical at high exposure
Research protocol
Research context only - there is no approved human protocol, and none is likely without a delivery method that reaches the brain. Human research measures BDNF in blood as a biomarker rather than dosing it; the intrathecal trials that did dose it were stopped for adverse effects.
Research context only
Evidence justification
Strong observational and mechanistic literature, but no human trial shows benefit from administering BDNF itself; supplement claims have no supporting data.