Biomedical Journal of Indonesia
Vol. 12 No. 3 (2026): Vol 12, No 3, 2026, Issue in Progress

Evaluation of Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Patients with Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Mariel Daba (Department of Physiotherapy, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan St. Elisabeth Keuskupan Maumere, Indonesia)
Nathasya Ferdyastari (Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universitas Medika Suherman, Bekasi, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
15 Oct 2026

Abstract

Introduction. Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke arise from different vascular mechanisms and may therefore produce different neurobiological responses. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is involved in neuronal repair, synaptic remodeling, and recovery after brain injury. This study compared serum BDNF concentrations between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. Methods. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 stroke patients recruited consecutively, with 15 participants in each diagnostic group. Eligibility included age 30-70 years, neuroimaging-confirmed stroke, onset between 6 and 48 days, MMSE score >18, and no other neurological comorbidity. Stroke severity was summarized using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Serum BDNF was quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Group differences were examined using an independent sample t-test after assessment of normality and homogeneity; ANCOVA was performed to adjust for age, onset, and NIHSS.  Results. Serum BDNF was higher in hemorrhagic stroke than in ischemic stroke (1.549 ± 0.016 vs. 1.457 ± 0.024 ng/mL, mean ± SEM; p = 0.004). The mean difference was 0.092 ng/mL, with a large standardized effect (Cohen’s d = 1.15). After adjustment for age, onset, and NIHSS, stroke type remained significantly associated with serum BDNF (β = 0.093; 95% CI: 0.030-0.155; p = 0.005) Conclusion. Serum BDNF differed between stroke subtypes, with higher levels in hemorrhagic stroke. These findings support the potential relevance of BDNF as a complementary biological marker in stroke research, although larger longitudinal studies are required before clinical application.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

bji

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Medicine & Pharmacology

Description

Biomedical Journal of Indonesia is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that focus on basic medical sciences, emphasizing on providing the molecular studies of biomedical problems and molecular mechanisms to integrate researches in all aspects of human health. BJI is dedicated to publishing ...