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Lookup NU author(s): Sarah Moore, Dr Kate HallsworthORCiD, Professor Djordje JakovljevicORCiD, Professor Andrew BlamireORCiD, Dr Jiabao He, Professor Gary Ford, Professor Lynn RochesterORCiD, Professor Mike TrenellORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).
Background. Exercise therapy could potentially modify metabolic risk factors and brain physiology alongside improving function post stroke. Objective. To explore the short-term metabolic, brain, cognitive, and functional effects of exercise following stroke. Methods. A total of 40 participants (>50 years, >6 months post stroke, independently mobile) were recruited to a single-blind, parallel, randomized controlled trial of community-based exercise (19 weeks, 3 times/wk, exercise group) or stretching (control group). Primary outcome measures were glucose control and cerebral blood flow. Secondary outcome measures were cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, lipid profile, body composition, cerebral tissue atrophy and regional brain metabolism, and physical and cognitive function. Results. Exercise did not change glucose control (homeostasis model assessment 15 +/- 08 to 15 +/- 07 vs 16 +/- 08 to 17 +/- 07, P = .97; CI = -05 to 049). Medial temporal lobe tissue blood flow increased with exercise (38 +/- 8 to 42 +/- 10 mL/100 g/min; P < .05; CI = 9.0 to 0.1) without any change in gray matter tissue volume. There was no change in medial temporal lobe tissue blood flow in the control group (41 +/- 8 to 40 +/- 7 mL/100 g/min; P = .13; CI = -3.6 to 6.7) but significant gray matter atrophy. Cardiorespiratory fitness, diastolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, physical function, and cognition also improved with exercise. Conclusion. Exercise therapy improves short-term metabolic, brain, physical, and cognitive function, without changes in glucose control following stroke. The long-term impact of exercise on stroke recurrence, cardiovascular health, and disability should now be explored.
Author(s): Moore SA, Hallsworth K, Jakovljevic DG, Blamire AM, He JB, Ford GA, Rochester L, Trenell MI
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Neurorehabilitation & Neural Repair
Year: 2015
Volume: 29
Issue: 7
Pages: 623-635
Print publication date: 01/08/2015
Online publication date: 23/12/2014
Acceptance date: 01/01/1900
Date deposited: 12/04/2016
ISSN (print): 1545-9683
ISSN (electronic): 1552-6844
Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1545968314562116
DOI: 10.1177/1545968314562116
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