title: Aerobic exercises enhance cognitive functions and brain derived neurotrophic factor in ischemic stroke patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is a leading cause of functional impairments. High percentage of these patients will experience some degree of cognitive affection, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Demonstrate the role of aerobic exercises enhancing cognitive functions and its effect on Brain Derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in post-ischemic stroke patients in the territory of anterior circulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included thirty Egyptian ischemic stroke patients in the territory of anterior circulation. They were divided into 2 groups; group 1 (G1) were subjected to physiotherapy program without aerobic exercises and group 2 (G2) were subjected to the same previous program followed by aerobic exercises. Both groups were subjected to pre- and post-treatment Addenbrookes's Cognitive Examination- Revised (ACER) and serum level of BDNF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed a significant improvement in ACER score in G2 compared to G1 post-treatment (p = 0.017). BDNF serum level significantly increased in G2 post-treatment compared to pre-treatment (p = 0.001) and compared to G1 group (p = 0.0458). ACER improvement was positively correlated to increase in serum level of BDNF (r = 0.53, p = 0.044).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aerobic exercises improve cognitive functions of ischemic stroke patients. This improvement is related to the increase in serum level of BDNF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: El-Tamawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Foad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abd-Allah
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders and its Surgery, Faculty for Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Moshera H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Darwish
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders and its Surgery, Faculty for Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Khalifa
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human
keywords: BDNF; Stroke; aerobic exercises