Exercise and Motor Learning After Stroke (Study #3)

University of Delaware

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Stroke

Treatments: Behavioral: Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03726047

1139080-3

Details and patient eligibility

About

Subjects with chronic stroke (> 6 months post-stroke) will learn a new walking pattern through distorted visual feedback. Retention of the pattern will be tested without visual feedback immediately after learning and 24 hours later. Subjects will be randomly assigned to the control group or the exercise group. The control group will simply complete the learning task. The exercise group will complete 5 minutes of exercise immediately following the first retention test to test for the effects of exercise on retention 24 hours later.

Full description

Despite significant time and money spent on post-stroke rehabilitation, stroke survivors are left with reduced walking capacity and significant disability. After stroke, individuals must relearn movements that have been disrupted due to damage to the brain, therefore, enhancing motor learning is critical to improving the rehabilitation of walking after stroke. In this project investigators will examine how individual factors influence motor learning after stroke and use this information to personalize post-stroke rehabilitation.

Enrollment: 80 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Age 18-85 Single, unilateral, chronic stroke (>6 months post-stroke), confirmed by MRI or CT scan Score >1 on question 1b and >0 on question 1c of the NIH Stroke Scale Able to walk at self-selected speed without assistance from another person Resting heart rate between 40-100 beats per minute Resting blood pressure between 90/60 to 185/100

Exclusion criteria

Evidence of cerebellar stroke on clinical MRI or CT scan, because of role of cerebellum in learning Other neurologic conditions in addition to stroke Inability to walk outside the home prior to the stroke Coronary artery bypass graft or myocardial infarction within past 3 months, Musculoskeletal pain that limits walking Inability to communicate with investigators Visual field cut Neglect Unexplained dizziness in last 6 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Subjects will complete learning of a new walking pattern through distorted visual feedback and retention will be tested immediately after and 24 hours later (without visual feedback).

Exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects will complete learning of a new walking pattern through distorted visual feedback and retention will be tested immediately without visual feedback. This will be followed immediately by 5 minutes of high intensity exercise. Retention without visual feedback will them be tested again 24 hours later.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exercise