SynthesisFrontiers in pharmacology2026
Effects of cognitive-motor interventions on serum BDNF levels in adults and older population post-stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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Abstract
Introduction: Cognitive-motor interventions have emerged as promising rehabilitation strategies to enhance neuroplasticity following stroke; however, their effects on circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) remain incompletely understood. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the effects of cognitive-motor interventions on serum BDNF levels in adults and older adults after stroke. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science (Core Collection), EBSCOhost, CINAHL, and ProQuest was conducted through December 2025. Randomized controlled trials evaluating cognitive-motor interventions and reporting serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor outcomes in post-stroke populations were included. Methodological quality and certainty of evidence were assessed according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine framework, the RoB two tool, and GRADEpro. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251140852). Results: Nine randomized controlled trials involving 457 participants met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis demonstrated that cognitive-motor interventions elicited a statistically significant increase in serum BDNF levels compared with control conditions (Hedges' g = 2.51; 95% CI: 0.97 to 4.06; p = 0.001; I Conclusion: These findings suggest that cognitive-motor interventions may increase circulating BDNF levels after stroke, supporting their potential role in promoting neuroplastic mechanisms during rehabilitation; however, the very high heterogeneity across studies warrants cautious interpretation. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251140852 identifer, PROSPERO 2025 CRD420251140852.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.