BDNF has repeatedly been implicated as a growth-promoter in in vitro assays (Gillespie et al., 2001; Salie and Steeves, 2005; Santos et al., 2016) and in models of stroke (Ueno et al., 2012); BDNF effects can further be promoted by rehabilitation training (Ploughman et al., 2009). Here, BDNF is linked to stroke disorder.