Effects of skilled reach training with affected forelimb and treadmill exercise on the expression of neurotrophic factor following ischemia-induced brain injury in rats.
Min-Sik Yong, Seong-Gil Kim, Song-Hee Cheon
PMID 28533602WHAT IT FOUND
In rats with induced ischemic brain injury, both skilled reach training and treadmill exercise raised neurotrophic factors BDNF and NGF compared with control.
The two trainings did not differ, and no movement recovery was measured.
Key findings
01BDNF and NGF expression was significantly different between control and skilled reach training, and between control and treadmill exercise, with higher reported pixel values in both training groups.
02Skilled reach training and treadmill exercise did not differ significantly in BDNF or NGF expression.
03The study did not measure motor function recovery, so it cannot link neurotrophic factor expression to functional improvement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was done in rats, not human stroke patients, so it cannot be used to decide what to do in clinic. It measured only BDNF and NGF expression and did not test motor function or recovery, so it cannot show functional benefit. The rats were examined two weeks after surgery, so it does not show longer-term effects. The comparison between skilled reach training and treadmill exercise did not reach significance, so the paper cannot show that one is better.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that skilled reach training or treadmill exercise improves stroke recovery in people. The rats were tested only for BDNF and NGF protein expression after a short period, and no motor function was measured.