Everything parents need to know about BDNF. What it is, the role it plays in learning, and how to boost levels.

BDNF Builds Better Brains

How to boost your child’s learning abilities.

Marla Szwast
4 min readAug 23, 2020

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Photo by Josh Mills on Unsplash

What is BDNF?

BDNF is short for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Basically, BDNF is a protein that is part of the neurotrophin family of growth factor, as the name implies, it is found in the brain. Neurotrophins build and maintain cell circuitry, they are basic material that is needed. Before neurotransmitters can get to work sending signals throughout the brain, the neurotrophic factors (the term factor here refers to a subcategory used to describe the type of protein) need to be in place. You can think of BDNF as the network of cell towers that need to be in place before you can send or receive a call.

The Role of BDNF in Learning

Scientists first started to realize that there was a connection between BDNF and learning from studies connecting movement and the brain. In a study attempting to understand the connection between movement and the brain ( by Carl Cotman), huge changes were seen in the hippocampus. This was unexpected, as scientists thought major changes from exercise would primarily appear in the…

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Marla Szwast
Marla Szwast

Written by Marla Szwast

A mom who writes, in the cracks of time, between educating, chauffeuring and feeding half a dozen kids. Top writer in Parenting.

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