Table 4.
Association of BDNF serum levels with categorical demographic and clinical variables in 105 patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
| Clinical Variable (Categorical) | BDNF Serum Levels (ng/mL), Mean (SD) | t or F | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Female | 24.5 (13.3) | 0.47 | 0.63 |
| Male | 25.9 (13.9) | |||
| Age class | 18–20 | 32.0 (8.8) | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| 21–25 | 24.9 (12.3) | |||
| 26–44 | 26.1 (14.7) | |||
| 45–65 | 21.0 (14.0) | |||
| Marital status | Single | 29.5 (14.7) | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Married/Cohabiting | 18.6 (11.4) | |||
| Divorced | 30.5 (26.7) | |||
| Widowed | 25.5 (13.6) | |||
| Presence of offspring | Yes | 25.2 (14.9) | 0.73 | 0.9 |
| No | 25.5 (13.5) | |||
| Employment | Employed | 28.5 (17.8) | 0.25 | 0.9 |
| Student | 25.8 (NA) | |||
| Registered disabled civilian | 25.1 (13.6) | |||
| Unemployed | 32.5 (4.6) | |||
| Presence of family history of mental disorders | Yes | 26.5 (14.1) | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| No | 24.1 (13.1) | |||
| Presence of family history of schizophrenia | Yes | 26.5 (14.8) | −0.5 | 0.6 |
| No | 25.0 (13.3) | |||
| Presence of family history of bipolar disorder | Yes | 27.1 (9.5) | −0.5 | 0.6 |
| No | 25.3 (14.0) | |||
| Presence of family history of major depressive disorder | Yes | 24.1 (14.2) | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| No | 25.7 (13.6) | |||
| Presence of family history of anxiety disorders | Yes | 26.0 (12.1) | −0.1 | 0.9 |
| No | 25.4 (13.9) | |||
| Clinical course | Episodic with full remission | 32.6 (5.8) | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| Episodic with residual symptoms | 28.7 (14.7) | |||
| Chronic with or without periodical relapses | 23.6 (12.9) | |||
| Presence of hospital admissions | Yes | 25.6 (13.9) | −0.3 | 0.8 |
| No | 24.4 (11.9) | |||
| Presence of smoking | Yes | 27.1 (14.6) | −1.6 | 0.1 |
| No | 22.4 (12.1) | |||
| History of substance abuse | Yes | 23.8 (13.1) | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| No | 25.7 (14.1 | |||
| Current use of substances | Yes | 19.7 (10.9) | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| No | 25.5 (13.9) | |||
| Diagnosis | Schizophrenia | 24.9 (13.5) | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Schizoaffective disorder | 26.3 (14.0) | |||
| Diagnosis of cluster A personality disorders (SCID-II) | Yes | 21.5 (14.2) | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| No | 25.6 (13.7) | |||
| Diagnosis of cluster B personality disorders (SCID-II) | Yes | 24.1 (15.4) | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| No | 25.6 (13.7) | |||
| Diagnosis of cluster C personality disorders (SCID-II) | Yes | 32.6 (23.6) | −0.43 | 0.5 |
| No | 25.4 (13.6) | |||
| Class of antipsychotics | First-generation | 25.7 (13.01) | −0.15 | 0.88 |
| Second-generation | 25.3 (13.9) | |||
BDNF: brain-derived neurotrophic factor; PANSS: positive and negative syndrome scale; BMI: body mass index; PAS: premorbid adjustment scale; CGI-SCH: clinical global impression—schizophrenia; PSP: personal and social performance scale: WHOQOL: the World Health Organization quality of life scale; BACS: brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia; SWN: subjective well-being under neuroleptics.