According to the researchers, patients' mutated huntingtin protein cannot produce proper amounts of BDNF, which leads to brain deterioration. Increasing BDNF will likely treat HD (ref).
Exercise upregulates BDNF.(ref) Active HD mice do dramatically better. (ref). Some drugs delay HD by upregulating BDNF. Some drugs accelerate HD by downregulating BDNF. Stress decreases BDNF and this can be a vicious cycle of increasing symptoms and stress. Stress can be managed with exercise and drugs.
Getting off of Haldol may be difficult because Haldol's addictive powers mask it's own side effects. Exercise for some is a life enhancing addiction.
The table below is not complete. If you know of anything else that affects BDNF, send the article or cite to Jerry@HDLighthouse.org. If appropriate, educate your doctor (be gentle). Discuss the choices with your doctor and make pro-active decisions. See the HDL Triad. ---Jerry 19-Aug-01, updated 20-Aug-01
Table by: Jerry Lampson, HDL 19-Aug-01
| Drug Brand names - generic, class | Effect on BDNF | Reference |
| clozapine and olanzapine, neuroleptics | upregulate BDNF | Bai O |
| Parnate - tranylcypromine, antidepressant; Exercise | Enhancement of BDNF expression | Russo-Neustadt A |
| Valium-diazepam, benzodiazepine +pentobarbital - barbiturate, antiepileptic | Strong potentiation of BDNF synthesis | Biagini G |
| Haldol - haloperidol, neuroleptics | Rapidly downregulates BDNF | Dawson NM |
| Risperdal - risperidone, neuroleptic | Significantly decreases BDNF | Angelucci F |
| Dex - dexamethasone, steroid | Decrease in BDNF m-RNA in all hippocampal regions. | Vellucci SV |
| ketalar - ketamine, NMDA antagonist | Attenuates BDNF expression | Chen AC |
| Stress | Decreases BDNF | Vollmayr B |