Lower baseline serum neuronal-specific enolase levels predict better rate of recovery of functional walking ability in post-acute stroke patients.
📄 Abstract
Evaluate the association between functional recovery and a panel of specific neuronal biomarkers, in a cohort of stroke patients. Serum levels of neuronal specific enolase (NSE), neurofilament light chain (NfL), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), amyloid-β Linear regression was performed to predict changes in clinical scales during follow up, according to baseline biomarkers levels. NSE at T0 was a significant predictor of improvement in FAC and RMI, where the higher the NSE concentration, the smaller the improvement. Therefore, baseline NSE explained 39% of the variation in FAC and 31% in RMI over time. No significant differences were observed with respect to other scales or other biomarkers. This exploratory study suggested that serum NSE may be a predictor of functional mobility recovery in post-acute stroke patients and represents a useful tool for patients' stratification.