The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial
Background: Aerobic exercise is an effective treatment to improve aerobic capacity following stroke and might also improve cognitive impairments in sub-acute stroke survivors. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of high-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive impairments in sub-acute strok...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2019-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Central Nervous System Disease |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1179573519843493 |
| _version_ | 1819021805773389824 |
|---|---|
| author | Hanne Pallesen Maria Bjerk Asger Roer Pedersen Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen Lars Evald |
| author_facet | Hanne Pallesen Maria Bjerk Asger Roer Pedersen Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen Lars Evald |
| author_sort | Hanne Pallesen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Aerobic exercise is an effective treatment to improve aerobic capacity following stroke and might also improve cognitive impairments in sub-acute stroke survivors. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of high-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive impairments in sub-acute stroke survivors. Methods: A pilot, randomised controlled trial on the effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive impairments of stroke patients in the sub-acute (1-3 months) phase was conducted. Thirty patients with moderate cognitive impairments (maximum score of 5 on at least two items on the cognitive subscales of the Functional Independence Measure [FIM]) were included in the study and randomly assigned to either the intervention group – performing high-intensity aerobic exercise (above 70% of maximum heart rate), or the control group – performing low-intensity aerobic exercise (below 60%). Patients in both groups exercised for 50 min twice a week for 4 weeks. Primary neuropsychological outcome: Trail Making Test B. Results: Thirty stroke patients completed the interventions. The results showed that the high-intensity group, compared with the low-intensity group, achieved significant improvements on Trail Making Test B, which assesses processing speed and divided attention ( P = .04 after training and P = .01 at follow-up). However, the significant improvements on Trail Making Test B might relate to a ceiling effect in the control group. Conclusions: This study does not provide evidence to support that aerobic exercise can improve cognition in stroke survivors, even though significant improvement was revealed on the primary outcome in sub-acute stroke survivors following high-intensity aerobic exercise compared with low-intensity general exercise. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:12:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff3de67584074e09983aae642ee91114 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-5735 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:12:57Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Central Nervous System Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff3de67584074e09983aae642ee911142022-12-21T19:16:24ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Central Nervous System Disease1179-57352019-04-011110.1177/1179573519843493The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled TrialHanne Pallesen0Maria Bjerk1Asger Roer Pedersen2Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen3Lars Evald4Hammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, RM, Aarhus University, Hammel, DenmarkOslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, NorwayHammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, RM, Aarhus University, Hammel, DenmarkHammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, RM, Aarhus University, Hammel, DenmarkHammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, RM, Aarhus University, Hammel, DenmarkBackground: Aerobic exercise is an effective treatment to improve aerobic capacity following stroke and might also improve cognitive impairments in sub-acute stroke survivors. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of high-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive impairments in sub-acute stroke survivors. Methods: A pilot, randomised controlled trial on the effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive impairments of stroke patients in the sub-acute (1-3 months) phase was conducted. Thirty patients with moderate cognitive impairments (maximum score of 5 on at least two items on the cognitive subscales of the Functional Independence Measure [FIM]) were included in the study and randomly assigned to either the intervention group – performing high-intensity aerobic exercise (above 70% of maximum heart rate), or the control group – performing low-intensity aerobic exercise (below 60%). Patients in both groups exercised for 50 min twice a week for 4 weeks. Primary neuropsychological outcome: Trail Making Test B. Results: Thirty stroke patients completed the interventions. The results showed that the high-intensity group, compared with the low-intensity group, achieved significant improvements on Trail Making Test B, which assesses processing speed and divided attention ( P = .04 after training and P = .01 at follow-up). However, the significant improvements on Trail Making Test B might relate to a ceiling effect in the control group. Conclusions: This study does not provide evidence to support that aerobic exercise can improve cognition in stroke survivors, even though significant improvement was revealed on the primary outcome in sub-acute stroke survivors following high-intensity aerobic exercise compared with low-intensity general exercise.https://doi.org/10.1177/1179573519843493 |
| spellingShingle | Hanne Pallesen Maria Bjerk Asger Roer Pedersen Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen Lars Evald The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Journal of Central Nervous System Disease |
| title | The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial |
| title_full | The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial |
| title_short | The Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance After Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | effects of high intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive performance after stroke a pilot randomised controlled trial |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/1179573519843493 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hannepallesen theeffectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT mariabjerk theeffectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT asgerroerpedersen theeffectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT jørgenfeldbæknielsen theeffectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT larsevald theeffectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT hannepallesen effectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT mariabjerk effectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT asgerroerpedersen effectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT jørgenfeldbæknielsen effectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial AT larsevald effectsofhighintensityaerobicexerciseoncognitiveperformanceafterstrokeapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrial |