Gradually Increased Training Intensity Benefits Rehabilitation Outcome after Stroke by BDNF Upregulation and Stress Suppression

Abstract

Physical training is necessary for effective rehabilitation in the early poststroke period. Animal studies commonly use fixed training intensity throughout rehabilitation and without adapting it to the animals' recovered motor ability. This study investigated the correlation between training intensity and rehabilitation efficacy by using a focal ischemic stroke rat model. Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced with middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion surgery. Sixty rats with successful stroke were then randomly assigned into four groups: control (CG, n = 15), low intensity (LG, n = 15), gradually increased intensity (GIG, n = 15), and high intensity (HG, n = 15). Behavioral tests were conducted daily to evaluate motor function recovery. Stress level and neural recovery were evaluated via plasma corticosterone and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration, respectively. GIG rats significantly (P < 0.05) recovered motor function and produced higher hippocampal BDNF (112.87 ± 25.18 ng/g). GIG and LG rats exhibited similar stress levels (540.63 ± 117.40 nM/L and 508.07 ± 161.30 nM/L, resp.), which were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that (716.90 ± 156.48 nM/L) of HG rats. Training with gradually increased intensity achieved better recovery with lower stress. Our observations indicate that a training protocol that includes gradually increasing training intensity should be considered in both animal and clinical studies for better stroke recovery.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Effects of BDNF-Transfected BMSCs on Neural Functional Recovery and Synaptophysin Expression in Rats with Cerebral Infarction

“…BDNF has been reported to have a neuroprotective effect against brain injury and is thought to be potent candidates in the recovery from cerebral ischemia [32,33]. BDNF could support the neuron survival and encourage neuron and synapse growth and differentiation, and is related to neuroplasticity and contributes to neural rehabilitation after stroke [34]. Taken together, BDNF can increase synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis by upregulating the expressions of synaptophysin and has a promotional role in neural functional recovery which is confirmed by lower balance beam walking score, rotating bar walking score, and screen test score.…”

Paracrine Mechanisms of Intravenous Bone Marrow-Derived Mononuclear Stem Cells in Chronic Ischemic Stroke

“…This was observed in all the patients who had been administered a neuromotor regime for 2 months. Patients in group 2 showed a statistically significant increase (baseline to 8 weeks) in BDNF as compared to VEGF (p = 0.01 vs. p = 0.53) indicating that BDNF is more likely to be involved in neuroplastic changes, which is supported by the literature [36]. Several animal studies have demonstrated significantly increased BDNF mRNA levels in the rat hippocampus after a single bout of 6 h voluntary wheel running [37].…”

Clinical and laboratory assessment of the effectiveness of early rehabilitation of patients with stroke using assistive robotic tools

“…çîíû èøåìèè è óëó÷øàþò íåâðîëîãè÷åñêèå èñõîäû [14][15][16][17][18]. Ó÷åíûìè âûÿâëåíà ïîëîaeèòåëüíàÿ êîððåëÿöèîííàÿ âçàèìîñâÿçü ìåaeäó ïîâûøåíèåì óðîâíÿ íåéðîòðîôè÷åñêèõ ôàêòîðîâ è ÷àñòîòîé ôèçè÷åñêèõ óïðàaeíåíèé [19,20].…”