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Published on: September 11, 2017
Aerobic Exercise Improves Cortical Inhibitory Function After Stroke: A Preliminary Investigation
Jacqueline A Palmer1, Alicen A Whitaker, Aiden M Payne
1Department of Neurology (J.A.P., S.A.B.), School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City; University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (J.A.P., S.A.B.), Fairway; Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training (A.A.W., B.L.B.), University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City; Department of Psychology (A.M.P.), College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee; Department of Physical Therapy (D.S.R.), College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark; and Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences (P.E.B.), College of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Background And Purpose:
Aerobic exercise can elicit positive effects on neuroplasticity and cognitive executive function but is poorly understood after stroke. We tested the effect of 4 weeks of aerobic exercise training on inhibitory and facilitatory elements of cognitive executive function and electroencephalography markers of cortical inhibition and facilitation. We investigated relationships between stimulus-evoked cortical responses, blood lactate levels during training, and aerobic fitness postintervention.
Methods:
Twelve individuals with chronic (>6 months) stroke completed an aerobic exercise intervention (40 minutes, 3×/wk). Electroencephalography and motor response times were assessed during congruent (response facilitation) and incongruent (response inhibition) stimuli of a Flanker task. Aerobic fitness capacity was assessed as o2peak during a treadmill test pre- and postintervention. Blood lactate was assessed acutely (<1 minute) after exercise each week. Cortical inhibition (N2) and facilitation (frontal P3) were quantified as peak amplitudes and latencies of stimulus-evoked electroencephalographic activity over the frontal cortical region.
Results:
Following exercise training, the response inhibition speed increased while response facilitation remained unchanged. A relationship between earlier cortical N2 response and faster response inhibition emerged postintervention. Individuals who produced higher lactate during exercise training achieved faster response inhibition and tended to show earlier cortical N2 responses postintervention. There were no associations between o2peak and metrics of behavioral or neurophysiologic function.
Discussion And Conclusions:
These preliminary findings provide novel evidence for selective benefits of aerobic exercise on inhibitory control during the initial 4-week period after initiation of exercise training and implicate a potential therapeutic effect of lactate on poststroke inhibitory control.
