This study was performed to investigate the effect of therapeutic exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor manifestation after global brain ischemia in rats. Nine rats with global ischemia were divided at random into two group. In the control group, three rats remained in cage. But, in the end, two rats were alive. In the therapeutic exercise group, six rats remained. The five rats of this group was swam for 30 minutes everyday for a week. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression was identified from immunohistochemistry. The results of this study were as follows : 1. In the control group, a little expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor was observed at cortex and hippocampus layer, but cell body and axon was observed obscurely. 2. In the experimental group, a much expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor was observed at cortex and hippocampus layer, and cell body and axon was observed clearly. In the neurological examination(beam-walking test). experimental group was obtained higher 1.4 points than control group. BDNF expression was increased by swimming for 30 minutes everyday for a week. Therefore, therapeutic exercise contribute to brain plasticity after brain ischemia.