Article

BACKGROUND: People post-stroke can learn a novel locomotor task but require more
practice to do so. Implementing an approach that can enhance locomotor learning
may therefore improve post-stroke locomotor recovery. In healthy adults, an acute
high-intensity exercise bout before or after a motor task may improve motor
learning and has thus been suggested as a method that could be used to improve
motor learning in neurorehabilitation. However, it is unclear whether an acute
high-intensity exercise bout, which stroke survivors can feasibly complete in
neurorehabilitation session, would generate comparable results. OBJECTIVE: To
determine a feasible, high-intensity exercise protocol that could be incorporated
into a post-stroke neurorehabilitation session and would result in significant
exercise-induced responses. METHODS: Thirty-seven chronic stroke survivors
participated. We allocated subjects to either a control (CON) or one of the
exercise groups: treadmill walking (TMW), and total body exercise (TBE). The main
exercise-induced measures were: average intensity (% max intensity) and time
spent (absolute: seconds; normalized: % total time) at target exercise intensity,
and magnitudes of change in serum lactate (mmol/l) and brain-derived neurotrophic
factor (BDNF; ng/ml). RESULTS: Compared to CON, both exercise groups reached and
exercised longer at their target intensities and had greater responses in
lactate. However, the TBE group exercised longer at target intensity and with
greater lactate response than the TMW group. There were no significant BDNF
responses among groups. CONCLUSIONS: An acute high-intensity exercise bout that
could be incorporated into a neurorehabilitation learning-specific session and
results in substantial exercise-induced responses is feasible post-stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS