Table 2.

Serum BDNF levels before and at three time points after each type of intervention, stratified for gender.

BDNF levels	Before intervention (ng/mL±SEM)	0 minutes after (ng/mL±SEM)	20 minutes after (ng/mL±SEM)	60 minutes after (ng/mL±SEM)	Average post intervention level (ng/mL±SEM)	Average change*/ (ng/mL±SEM)	95% confidence interval Exact p-value	Effect size (Cohen’s d)
Physical exercise (N = 19)	19.21±1.17	22.73±1.17	21.73±1.2	23.44±1.38	22.5±0.99	3.29±1.00	1.19–5.40 p = 0.004	0.75
Cognitive training (N = 19)	20.06±0.95	20.81±1.35	19.89±1.35	20.12±1.13	20.28±1.03	0.21±1	-1.89–2.31 p = 0.83	0.05
Mindfulness (N = 18)	21.6±1.58	20.41±1.48	21.76±1.05	20.86±1.74	21.05±1.26	-0.55±1.27	-3.23–2.13 p = 0.67	-0.10

Values are mean levels of BDNF at each measure point with standard error of mean (SEM). The 95% confidence interval is for the difference between the average post-intervention BDNF level (from three measures) and the baseline pre-intervention level immediately before the intervention started (from paired t-test). Cohen’s d was calculated by dividing the average change with the standard deviation of the change.