BDNF and major depressive disorder: 2013). BDNF plays a crucial role in the survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons that regulate emotional and cognitive functions (Phillips 2017). Accumulating evidence indicates that neuroplastic mechanisms mediated by BDNF are disrupted in both MDD and stress‐induced animal models (Duman and Monteggia 2006; Page et al. 2024). Clinical and preclinical studies suggest that depressive pathology related to stress impacts BDNF levels and function, leading to disruptions in neuroplasticity at both regional and circuit levels in individuals with MDD (Zhang et al. 2016).