Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene Polymorphism, Craving, and Stress Among Alcohol-Dependent Patients: A Preliminary Cross-sectional Study from India.

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neuronal plasticity and survival. The BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism is hypothesized to be linked with alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS). We studied the relationship between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and the clinical features of ADS, including severity, craving, and perceived stress among alcohol-dependent patients.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study on treatment-seeking north Indian male ADS patients aged 18 to 60 years, alcohol dependence severity (Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire, SADQ), craving (obsessive compulsive drinking scale), and perceived stress (perceived stress scale-4) were measured. The genetic analysis for calculating the BDNF Val66Met allele frequency was carried out using TaqMan assays. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Version 26.

Findings: The participants' mean age (SD) (n=80) was 37±8.52 years. Half of the participants had tobacco dependence, too. Almost half of the participants showed alcohol dependence with mild severity. The mean OCDS and PSS-4 scores were 26.08±9.34 and 9.08±2.4, respectively. The allelic frequency of the Val and Met alleles were 73.1% and 26.9%, respectively. Among the Met allele carriers, the OCDS (P=0.02) and PSS-4 scores (P=0.03) were significantly higher than observed in the Val group patients.

Conclusion: The study concludes that BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism could impact clinical variables such as craving and perceived stress in alcohol-dependent subjects. It merits the use of genetic analysis in determining the course of clinical maintenance of alcohol-dependent patients.