The Val66Met brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene variant interacts with early pain exposure to predict cortisol dysregulation in 7-year-old children born very preterm: Implications for cognition.
Our findings indicate that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with the diverse functional expressions of the descending pain modulatory systems.
BDNF Val66Met polymorphism affects the tPREP N2-P2 amplitude decrement and influences cortical pain processing through neurotrophin-induced neural plasticity, or through a direct BDNF neurotransmitter-like effect.