Mental Training Enhances Cognitive Function and BDNF More Than Either Physical or Combined Training in Elderly Women With MCI: A Small-Scale Study

Your doctor should be able to IMMEDIATELY take this and create a cognitive protocol for all stroke survivors.  You need BDNF for better stroke recovery. What the hell is your doctor doing to improve your BDNF levels? ANYTHING AT ALL?
115 posts on BDNF for your doctors edification.

Low Circulating Acute Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels Are Associated With Poor Long-Term Functional Outcome After Ischemic Stroke

Mental Training Enhances Cognitive Function and BDNF More Than Either Physical or Combined Training in Elderly Women With MCI: A Small-Scale Study 

Arsalan Damirchi, PhD, Fatemeh Hosseini, MSc, Parvin Babaei, PhD

First Published September 25, 2017 Research Article

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Abstract

Introduction:

The effects of mental, physical, and combination of these two trainings were investigated on cognitive performance, serum level of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and irisin in women diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Material and Methods:

Forty-four participants were randomized into 4 groups: physical training (PH; 8 weeks’ aerobic training, n = 11), mental training (ME; special computer gaming, n = 11), combined (PH + ME; n = 13), and control group (CO; n = 9).

Results:

Analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc test revealed a significant increase in working memory (P = .012) and BDNF (P = .24) in the ME compared with the CO group. Also the ME group in comparison with the PH group demonstrated better working memory (P = .014) and processing speed (P = .024).

Conclusion:

Positive effect of mental training on the cognitive parameters, parallel with BDNF elevation, suggests that mental training is a more useful, safe, and persistent strategy to attenuate the progression of MCI probably via BDNF elevation, but the effect size is relatively small elevation.