Journal article

The Post Ischaemic Stroke Cardiovascular Exercise Study: Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of fitness training for brain health

Liam Johnson, Emilio Werden, Chris Shirbin, Laura Bird, Elizabeth Landau, Toby Cumming, Leonid Churilov, Julie A Bernhardt, Vincent Thijs, Amy Brodtmann

EUROPEAN STROKE JOURNAL | SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD | Published : 2018

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Compared to healthy individuals, stroke patients have five times the rate of dementia diagnosis within three years. Aerobic exercise may induce neuroprotective mechanisms that help to preserve, and even increase, brain volume and cognition. We seek to determine whether aerobic fitness training helps to protect brain volume and cognitive function after stroke compared to an active, non-aerobic control. METHODS: In this Phase IIb, single blind, randomised controlled trial, 100 ischaemic stroke participants, recruited at two months post-stroke, will be randomly allocated to either the intervention (aerobic and strength exercise) or active control (stretching and balance training)...

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