Stroke Recovery Loves Company

Loneliness Not Good for Post-Stroke Progressby MedPage TodayCompanionship might be the key for better healing following a stroke, according to a preclinical study presented at the recent International Stroke Conference in New Orleans.Mice that were socially isolated tended to have greater ischemic infarct volumes relative to mice paired with a stroke partner or a healthy partner. In addition, the solitary mice had significantly decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that helps support the survival of existing neurons.Interestingly, the mice paired with healthy partners had significantly more BDNF than mice paired with a stroke partner. BDNF could be a marker for functional recovery, lead author Venugopal Reddy Venna, PhD, from the University of Connecticut in Farmington, Conn., told MedPage Today.Venna said that post-stroke housing is critically important and should be considered in all patients, but especially in clinical studies evaluating various rehabilitative strategies.Source: http://www.medpagetoday.com/LabNotes/LabNotes/31238