Biomedical Journal of Indonesia

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

2026-05-30T09:21:39+07:00

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.

A Pilot Comparative Study of Vocal and Instrumental Acoustic Stimulation on Early Embryonic Brain Morphology in Gallus gallus

2026-07-20T13:13:19+07:00

Introduction. Early embryonic brain development can respond to environmental factors, including sound. Sound waves create mechanical vibrations that affect cellular activity through mechano transduction. This study examined the effects of rhythmic vocal and harmonic instrumental acoustic stimulation on early brain development. Methods. We randomly assigned 20 fertilized chicken eggs to two groups: rhythmic vocal stimulation (Qur'anic recitation, n = 10) and harmonic instrumental stimulation (classical music, n = 10). We exposed the eggs to sound for 5 days, from embryonic day 1 to day 5. On day 5, we collected and examined the embryos. We assessed brain development based on embryo viability and the morphology of the primary brain vesicles. We used Fisher's Exact Test to compare developmental outcomes between the two groups. Results. Eight embryos (80%) developed in the rhythmic vocal group, while seven embryos (70%) developed in the harmonic instrumental group. The difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, Qualitative microscopic observation noted that primary brain vesicles appeared more clearly delineated in the rhythmic vocal group; however, this observation was descriptive and was not confirmed by quantitative morphometric measurement. Conclusion. Although the difference was not statistically significant, rhythmic vocal stimulation raise the hypothesis that rhythmic vocal stimulation may be associated with more distinct brain vesicle morphology. Because this was a pilot study with a small sample size, further studies using larger sample sizes and histological, biochemical, and molecular analyses are needed to better understand the biological effects of acoustic stimulation during embryonic development.

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Based on WHO Classification at Dr. Mohammad Hoesin General Hospital Palembang 2020–2024

2026-06-20T12:08:28+07:00

Introduction. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the major head and neck cancers with a heavy burden of illness in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the three main types of nasopharyngeal carcinoma histopathologically as keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, and basaloid squamous cell carcinoma. This article describes the clinicopathological features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients diagnosed at Dr. Mohammad Hoesin General Hospital (RSMH), Palembang, from 2020 to 2024. Methods. A retrospective descriptive observational study was conducted using total sampling method. Clinical and histopathological information was obtained from medical records and pathology archives from patients diagnosed from January 2020 through December 2024. Variables including age, sex, smoking history, clinical stage, operative procedure, and WHO histopathological classification were studied. Results. Out of the 138 cases, 56 were diagnosed in 2024 alone, the highest annual number. Majority of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were males (71%), less than 50 years old (50.7%), smokers (63%), and primarily presented with stage III (53.6%) disease. Biopsy dominated as the operative procedure with majority (79.7%) of the cases. Non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma was the main tumor type with the differentiated subtype being the most common histopathological identification. Conclusion. These results indicate that nasopharyngeal carcinoma at RSMH mostly involved male patients who had a history of smoking, most of them were diagnosed at an advanced clinical stage, with non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma subtype being the most common histological type.