Effects of blood flow restriction combined with visual feedback training on lower limb function and the serum levels of BDNF and VEGF in patients with stroke

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of blood flow restriction training (BFRT) combined with visual feedback training (VFT) on lower limb function and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with stroke. Methods Forty patients with stroke who were hospitalized at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between July 2025 and May 2026 were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the VFT group (control group) or the BFRT combined with VFT group (experimental group). The control group received VFT in addition to conventional rehabilitation, whereas the experimental group received BFRT combined with VFT on the basis of conventional rehabilitation. After 4 weeks of treatment, manual muscle testing (MMT), the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), the Pro-Kin balance test, and serum levels of BDNF and VEGF were compared between the two groups. Results Compared with baseline, MMT, FMA-LE, MBI, and FAC scores significantly increased in both groups after 4 weeks of treatment ( P < 0.05), with greater improvements observed in the experimental group than in the control group ( P < 0.05). TUGT performance also improved significantly in both groups compared with baseline ( P < 0.05), with the experimental group demonstrating significantly greater improvement than the control group ( P < 0.05). Following treatment, Pro-Kin balance test performance improved significantly in both groups ( P < 0.05), and the experimental group achieved better results than the control group ( P < 0.05). Serum levels of BDNF and VEGF increased significantly in both groups after the intervention ( P < 0.05), with significantly greater increases observed in the experimental group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion BFRT combined with VFT can significantly improve balance, lower limb function, and activities of daily living in patients with stroke. It also effectively increases serum levels of BDNF and VEGF, thereby promoting neurovascular plasticity.