- Title
- AExaCTT - Aerobic Exercise and Consecutive Task-specific Training for the upper limb after stroke: protocol for a randomised controlled pilot study
- Creator
- Valkenborghs, Sarah R.; Visser, Milanka M.; Dunn, Ashlee; Erickson, Kirk I.; Nilsson, Michael; Callister, Robin; van Vliet, Paulette
- Relation
- Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications Vol. 7, Issue September 2017, p. 179-185
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2017.07.009
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2017
- Description
- Motor function may be enhanced if aerobic exercise is paired with motor training. One potential mechanism is that aerobic exercise increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is important in neuroplasticity and involved in motor learning and motor memory consolidation. This study will examine the feasibility of a parallel-group assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial investigating whether task-specific training preceded by aerobic exercise improves upper limb function more than task-specific training alone, and determine the effect size of changes in primary outcome measures. People with upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke will be allocated to either task-specific training or aerobic exercise and consecutive task-specific training. Both groups will perform 60 hours of task-specific training over 10 weeks, comprised of 3 × 1 hour sessions per week with a therapist and 3 × 1 hours of home-based self-practice per week. The combined intervention group will also perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (70-85% HRmax) immediately prior to the 1 hour of task-specific training with the therapist. Recruitment, adherence, retention, participant acceptability, and adverse events will be recorded. Clinical outcome measures will be performed pre-randomisation at baseline, at completion of the training program, and at 1 and 6 months follow-up. Primary clinical outcome measures will be the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT). If aerobic exercise prior to task-specific training is acceptable, and a future phase 3 randomised controlled trial seems feasible, it should be pursued to determine the efficacy of this combined intervention for people after stroke.
- Subject
- stroke; motor function; aerobic exercise; task-specific training
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1350588
- Identifier
- uon:30579
- Identifier
- ISSN:2451-8654
- Rights
- © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/)
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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