Effects of combined intervention of physical exercise and cognitive training on cognitive function in stroke...

This study evaluated the possible effect of the combined intervention of physical exercise and cognitive training on cognitive function in stroke survivals with vascular cognitive impairment.

A single-blind (investigator-blinded but not subject-blinded) randomized controlled trial.

Medical Rehabilitation Center of Shanghai General Hospital, China.

A total of 225 patients (mean age 64.59 years, SD = 4.27) who exhibited vascular cognitive impairment were included in this study.

Patients were randomly allocated into one of the four groups: (1) physical exercise ( n = 56; 50-minute session), (2) cognitive training ( n = 57; 60-minute session), (3) combined intervention of physical exercise and cognitive training ( n = 55; 50-minute session + 60-minute session), or (4) control groups ( n = 57; 45-minute session). All participants received training for 36 sessions, three days per week, for 12 weeks.

Measures were recorded at baseline, after the intervention and at a six-month follow-up. Primary measurements included the Trail Making Part B, Stroop, forward digit span, and mental rotation tests.

A total of 179 participants (79.56% response rate) completed the study. Cognitive performances on all four tasks in the combined training group improved significantly after the intervention ( P < 0.01). Changes in cognitive performance were greater in the combined intervention group than those in the physical exercise group (e.g. forward digit span, 13.61% vs. 2.18%, P = 0.003), the cognitive training group (e.g. mental rotation, 17.36% vs. 0.87%, P  = 0.002), and the control group (e.g. Stroop, -4.11% vs. -0.72%, P  = 0.026).

The combined intervention produced greater benefits on cognitive function compared to either training alone in stroke survivors with vascular cognitive impairment.