A single bout of high-intensity interval training improves motor skill retention in individuals with stroke

TY - JOUR

T1 - A single bout of high-intensity interval training improves motor skill retention in individuals with stroke

AU - Nepveu, Jean-Francois

AU - Thiel, Alexander

AU - Tang, Ada

AU - Fung, Joyce

AU - Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper

AU - Boyd, Lara A

AU - Roig, Marc

N1 - CURIS 2017 NEXS 185

PY - 2017/8/1

Y1 - 2017/8/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: One bout of high-intensity cardiovascular exercise performed immediately after practicing a motor skill promotes changes in the neuroplasticity of the motor cortex and facilitates motor learning in nondisabled individuals.OBJECTIVE: To determine if a bout of exercise performed at high intensity is sufficient to induce neuroplastic changes and improve motor skill retention in patients with chronic stroke.METHODS: Twenty-two patients with different levels of motor impairment were recruited. On the first session, the effects of a maximal graded exercise test on corticospinal and intracortical excitability were assessed from the affected and unaffected primary motor cortex representational area of a hand muscle with transcranial magnetic stimulation. On the second session, participants were randomly assigned to an exercise or a nonexercise control group. Immediately after practicing a motor task, the exercise group performed 15 minutes of high-intensity interval training while the control group rested. Twenty-four hours after motor practice all participants completed a test of the motor task to assess skill retention.RESULTS: The graded exercise test reduced interhemispheric imbalances in GABAA-mediated short-interval intracortical inhibition but changes in other markers of excitability were not statistically significant. The group that performed high-intensity interval training showed a better retention of the motor skill.CONCLUSIONS: The performance of a maximal graded exercise test triggers only modest neuroplastic changes in patients with chronic stroke. However, a single bout of high-intensity interval training performed immediately after motor practice improves skill retention, which could potentially accelerate motor recovery in these individuals.

AB - BACKGROUND: One bout of high-intensity cardiovascular exercise performed immediately after practicing a motor skill promotes changes in the neuroplasticity of the motor cortex and facilitates motor learning in nondisabled individuals.OBJECTIVE: To determine if a bout of exercise performed at high intensity is sufficient to induce neuroplastic changes and improve motor skill retention in patients with chronic stroke.METHODS: Twenty-two patients with different levels of motor impairment were recruited. On the first session, the effects of a maximal graded exercise test on corticospinal and intracortical excitability were assessed from the affected and unaffected primary motor cortex representational area of a hand muscle with transcranial magnetic stimulation. On the second session, participants were randomly assigned to an exercise or a nonexercise control group. Immediately after practicing a motor task, the exercise group performed 15 minutes of high-intensity interval training while the control group rested. Twenty-four hours after motor practice all participants completed a test of the motor task to assess skill retention.RESULTS: The graded exercise test reduced interhemispheric imbalances in GABAA-mediated short-interval intracortical inhibition but changes in other markers of excitability were not statistically significant. The group that performed high-intensity interval training showed a better retention of the motor skill.CONCLUSIONS: The performance of a maximal graded exercise test triggers only modest neuroplastic changes in patients with chronic stroke. However, a single bout of high-intensity interval training performed immediately after motor practice improves skill retention, which could potentially accelerate motor recovery in these individuals.

KW - Stroke

KW - Cardiovascular exercise

KW - Motor skill learning

KW - Rehabilitation

KW - Memory

KW - Neuronal plasticity

KW - Transcranial megnetic stimulation

U2 - 10.1177/1545968317718269

DO - 10.1177/1545968317718269

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28691645

SN - 1545-9683

VL - 31

SP - 726

EP - 735

JO - Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair

JF - Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair

IS - 8

ER -