The brain is constantly adapting. Learning a new skill, practicing a movement, recovering after a neurological injury, and responding to rehabilitation can all involve changes in the connections and functional pathways within the brain. This ability is known as neuroplasticity, and one of the biological factors researchers study in connection with it is brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF.
If you have searched for ways to increase BDNF, you may have come across everything from exercise and sleep to hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and NAD+. The interest makes sense. BDNF plays a role in neuronal survival, synaptic function, learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. But it is not a single switch that determines whether the brain is healthy.
Increasing BDNF does not automatically translate into better cognition or protection from neurological disease. Researchers are instead trying to understand how BDNF interacts with the many biological processes involved in brain function, cognitive health, and neurological recovery, including emerging research involving HBOT, TMS, and NAD+.
What Is BDNF and Why Is It Important?
BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, is a protein in the neurotrophin family. It helps support neurons and plays an important role in communication between nerve cells and changes in synaptic strength.
BDNF is associated with neuronal survival and maintenance, synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, communication between neurons, and adaptation within neural networks. One important mechanism involves BDNF binding to a receptor known as TrkB, which activates signaling processes involved in neuronal function and plasticity.
This is one reason BDNF receives so much attention in research involving learning, memory, brain function, and neurological recovery. However, a BDNF measurement alone cannot tell us whether someone’s brain is healthy or predict how well that person will respond to a particular treatment. Brain health is considerably more complex.
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What Is Neuroplasticity in the Brain?
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to modify neural connections and functional pathways in response to learning, repeated practice, environmental experiences, and rehabilitation.
These changes can be particularly relevant during neurological recovery. After an injury, for example, rehabilitation may use repeated and progressively challenging activities to encourage useful adaptations within neural networks.
BDNF is one biological factor involved in these processes. Research has connected BDNF-TrkB signaling with synaptic plasticity and mechanisms that influence how neurons adapt.
Neuroplasticity, however, should not simply be thought of as the brain “healing itself.” Changes within neural networks can be adaptive or maladaptive. Treatments intended to support neurological recovery or influence neuroplasticity therefore need to be considered in the context of the patient’s condition, clinical needs, and treatment goals.
How Can You Support BDNF Naturally?
For someone interested in supporting BDNF and long-term brain health, the starting point does not necessarily need to be a medical treatment.
Regular physical activity, adequate sleep, cognitive engagement, balanced nutrition, and attention to cardiovascular and metabolic health all contribute to healthy brain function. Physical activity is especially relevant to BDNF research, while sleep and continued cognitive engagement are important for memory, learning, and cognitive performance.
These foundational habits are different from medical therapies. No single lifestyle change guarantees a particular BDNF level, and pursuing a higher BDNF level should not become a substitute for appropriate neurological care.
A better way to think about BDNF is as one part of a much larger biological system involved in maintaining and adapting the brain.
HBOT and BDNF: What Does the Research Suggest?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment in which a patient breathes 100% oxygen inside a chamber pressurized above normal atmospheric pressure. Researchers have studied HBOT in relation to oxygen availability, cerebral physiology, cellular signaling, tissue recovery, and neuroplasticity.
That research has also created interest in the relationship between HBOT and BDNF. Biological effects associated with hyperbaric oxygen may interact with processes involved in neurological recovery and plasticity, but that does not mean BDNF will predictably increase in every patient or that a change in BDNF will necessarily produce a specific cognitive outcome.
A 2026 randomized controlled study published in Frontiers in Neurology evaluated HBOT, repetitive TMS, and combined HBOT plus rTMS in 72 people with vascular cognitive impairment. After three weeks, the combined-treatment group demonstrated greater improvements in MoCA and MMSE cognitive scores than the other study groups. Researchers also used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine changes in cortical oxygenated hemoglobin.
The findings add to ongoing research involving HBOT, brain function, and combined neurological treatments, but they need to be interpreted within the population that was actually studied. The trial involved patients with vascular cognitive impairment and did not establish that an increase in BDNF caused the observed cognitive improvements.
For patients researching HBOT for brain health, the more useful question is not simply whether a therapy may affect BDNF. Treatment decisions should consider the condition being addressed, the available clinical evidence, the patient’s medical history, and the goals of care.
At CNS Brain Center, HBOT is approached as physician-led medical hyperbaric therapy rather than as a general wellness treatment. Medical-grade hard chambers are used to deliver 100% oxygen under pressure, with treatment decisions based on the patient’s condition, medical history, and clinical goals.
TMS and BDNF: How Brain Stimulation May Influence Neuroplasticity
Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses magnetic pulses to influence activity in targeted areas of the brain. TMS has established clinical applications as well as an expanding research base examining its effects on neural activity and neuroplasticity.
BDNF is one area researchers have investigated to better understand those effects. Research published in The Journal of Neuroscience examined repetitive TMS and BDNF-TrkB signaling in animal models and humans and identified changes in BDNF-related signaling following repeated stimulation.
These findings offer insight into one possible biological pathway involved in the brain’s response to repeated TMS. They do not mean that every TMS protocol produces the same BDNF response or that BDNF levels can predict an individual patient’s treatment outcome.
That distinction matters because TMS is not one standardized protocol used identically for every patient. Treatment targets, stimulation parameters, frequency, and other aspects of therapy vary according to the condition being treated and the clinical objective.
At CNS Brain Center, TMS is provided within a neurologist-led treatment environment, with treatment selected according to the patient’s condition and clinical needs. Research involving BDNF can help scientists understand the biological effects associated with brain stimulation, but BDNF alone is not a reason to recommend TMS.
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NAD+ and Brain Health: What Is the Connection?
NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a molecule involved in cellular energy metabolism and redox processes. Because neurons require substantial amounts of energy, NAD+ has become an area of research involving metabolism, cellular aging, and neuronal function.
Experimental research has also examined a possible connection between NAD+ availability and BDNF. In laboratory research involving cultured mouse cortical neurons, reducing NAD+ availability was associated with reduced activity-dependent BDNF expression.
This provides a biological reason to continue studying the relationship between NAD+ and BDNF. It is not the same as demonstrating that NAD+ therapy will increase BDNF or improve cognitive function in people.
For patients encountering claims about NAD+ and brain health, this distinction is important. Mechanistic and laboratory research can help scientists identify promising areas for further study, but clinical recommendations require evidence showing what an intervention actually does in people with specific conditions.
Comparing HBOT, TMS, and NAD+ for Brain Health
HBOT, TMS, and NAD+ involve very different mechanisms, levels of clinical evidence, and established medical uses. Research involving BDNF does not make these approaches interchangeable or mean that each is appropriate for the same neurological conditions.
HBOT uses 100% oxygen delivered under increased atmospheric pressure. Research involving the brain has examined oxygen availability, cellular signaling, tissue recovery, and neuroplasticity.
TMS uses targeted, noninvasive magnetic stimulation to influence neural activity. Researchers have investigated cortical excitability, plasticity, and BDNF-related signaling, while specific forms of TMS have established clinical uses for certain conditions.
NAD+ is central to cellular energy metabolism and redox biology. Research into NAD+ and the nervous system includes cellular energy, aging, neuronal function, and potential relationships with BDNF signaling.
For someone exploring therapies related to neuroplasticity or neurological recovery, the appropriate option depends on the medical condition, treatment goals, history, and quality of evidence supporting a particular intervention.
Researchers are also beginning to examine some therapies in combination. The 2026 vascular cognitive impairment study, for example, reported greater cognitive-score improvements with combined HBOT and rTMS than with either intervention alone in that particular patient population. That finding warrants further investigation rather than establishing a universal treatment recommendation.
BDNF, Brain Longevity, and Cognitive Health in Chicago
Interest in brain longevity and cognitive health has grown as more people look for ways to preserve brain function throughout adulthood. BDNF is relevant to this discussion because of its involvement in learning, memory, synaptic function, and neuroplasticity.
But healthy cognitive aging is influenced by far more than a single protein. Physical activity, sleep, cardiovascular health, metabolic health, cognitive engagement, neurological disease, medications, genetics, and other factors can all affect brain function over time.
The same perspective is important when discussing Alzheimer’s disease and prevention research. BDNF and neuroplasticity remain important areas of neuroscience research, but neither represents a standalone strategy proven to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
For patients concerned about cognitive changes, the priority should be identifying what is actually occurring rather than assuming that increasing one biomarker will address the underlying problem.
Choosing the Right Approach for Brain Health
There is no universal treatment for “brain health,” just as there is no single biomarker capable of describing the complete neurological picture.
Someone researching BDNF may actually be concerned about memory changes, cognitive performance, healthy aging, recovery after neurological injury, or symptoms associated with a diagnosed neurological or psychiatric condition. Those are very different clinical situations and may call for very different evaluations and treatment strategies.
Professional evaluation matters because the evidence, clinical indications, and appropriate protocols differ considerably among therapies. A treatment that makes sense for one condition may have limited evidence for another, and a biological mechanism such as BDNF signaling should not be used by itself to determine treatment.
CNS Brain Center approaches brain health within a neurologist-led medical setting that can bring together neurological evaluation, advanced diagnostic testing, rehabilitation, TMS, medical hyperbaric therapy, and other individualized treatment options. The goal is not simply to “increase BDNF.” It is to understand what is happening clinically and determine which diagnostic, rehabilitation, or treatment options make sense for the individual patient.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Is BDNF and Why Is It Important?
BDNF is a protein involved in neuronal survival, synaptic function, learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. It is one component of the complex biology that allows neurons and neural networks to function and adapt.
How Does BDNF Support Neuroplasticity?
BDNF binds to receptors including TrkB and influences signaling pathways involved in synaptic plasticity and neuronal adaptation. These processes are among the reasons BDNF is widely studied in learning, memory, and neurological recovery.
Can HBOT Support BDNF Levels?
Researchers are investigating relationships among HBOT, oxygen availability, cellular signaling, neurological recovery, and biological pathways associated with neuroplasticity. Current evidence does not support guaranteeing that HBOT will produce a predictable increase in BDNF for every patient.
Why Can’t I Just Take a BDNF Supplement?
BDNF itself is a protein and does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier when taken as a supplement, so taking BDNF orally would not be expected to deliver it directly to the brain. The BDNF involved in brain signaling is produced endogenously, meaning within the body. This is why research focuses on factors that may influence the body’s own BDNF production and signaling rather than oral BDNF supplementation as a direct way to increase BDNF in the brain.
How Does TMS Affect Neuroplasticity?
TMS influences activity and excitability in targeted neural networks. Research has also identified interactions between repetitive TMS and BDNF-related signaling, which may help researchers better understand some of the biological mechanisms associated with repeated stimulation.
Can You Increase BDNF Naturally?
Physical activity is one of the lifestyle factors frequently studied in connection with BDNF. Adequate sleep, cognitive engagement, balanced nutrition, and attention to cardiovascular and metabolic health also support broader brain and cognitive health.
Can HBOT, TMS, or NAD+ Improve Brain Health?
These approaches involve different mechanisms and very different bodies of evidence. Potential benefits depend on the therapy, medical indication, individual patient, treatment protocol, and available clinical evidence. They should be evaluated based on the condition being addressed rather than treated as interchangeable ways to increase BDNF.
The Bigger Picture
BDNF is an important part of the biology behind neurons, synapses, learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. But focusing only on how to increase BDNF can distract from the more important question: What does a particular patient actually need to support neurological function, recovery, or long-term cognitive health?
HBOT, TMS, and NAD+ represent distinct areas of clinical practice and scientific research, and our understanding of their relationship with BDNF and neuroplasticity will continue to evolve. For patients, the most useful approach is one grounded in their symptoms, medical history, diagnosis, treatment goals, and the evidence available for the therapy being considered.
For Chicago-area patients exploring cognitive health, neurological recovery, HBOT, TMS, or other brain-health treatments, CNS Brain Center provides neurologist-led evaluation and individualized care. Schedule a consultation to discuss your neurological history and treatment goals and determine which diagnostic, rehabilitation, or treatment options may be appropriate for your needs.