The potential therapeutic effect of BDNF on GABAergic neuroplasticity dysfunction in late-life anxiety

Late-life anxiety has a high prevalence and usually co-morbidity with cerebral- and cardiovascular diseases which in turn increases the disability and mortality in old people. The pathology of late-life anxiety is difference from adult with the character of GABAergic neuroplasticity dysfunction. The therapeutic strategy presently can only alleviate the anxious symptom but not ameliorate the neuroplasticity. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical signaling molecule which regulates the GABAergic neuroplasticity, reduction of BDNF along with aging can induce GABAergic dysfunction which contributes to late-life anxiety. BDNF may exert anxiolytic effects by restoring the GABAergic plasticity and can be a potential therapeutic strategy of late-life anxiety. Key words: Late-life anxiety; Dysfunction of neuroplasticity; Neurotrophic mechanism; GABA; BDNF