2532Purpose-This scientific statement provides an overview of the evidence on physical activity and exercise recommendations for stroke survivors. Evidence suggests that stroke survivors experience physical deconditioning and lead sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, this updated scientific statement serves as an overall guide for practitioners to gain a better understanding of the benefits of physical activity and recommendations for prescribing exercise for stroke survivors across all stages of recovery. Methods-Members of the writing group were appointed by the American Heart Association Stroke Council's Scientific Statement Oversight Committee and the American Heart Association's Manuscript Oversight Committee. The writers used systematic literature reviews, references to published clinical and epidemiology studies, morbidity and mortality reports, clinical and public health guidelines, authoritative statements, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence and indicate gaps in current knowledge. Results-Physical inactivity after stroke is highly prevalent. The assessed body of evidence clearly supports the use of exercise training (both aerobic and strength training) for stroke survivors. Exercise training improves functional capacity, the ability to perform activities of daily living, and quality of life, and it reduces the risk for subsequent cardiovascular events. Physical activity goals and exercise prescription for stroke survivors need to be customized for the individual to maximize long-term adherence. Conclusions-The recommendation from this writing group is that physical activity and exercise prescription should be incorporated into the management of stroke survivors. The promotion of physical activity in stroke survivors should emphasize low-to moderate-intensity aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity, reduction of sedentary behavior, and risk management for secondary prevention of stroke. (Stroke. 2014;45:2532-2553.)

IMPORTANCE Many patients receive suboptimal rehabilitation therapy doses after stroke owing to limited access to therapists and difficulty with transportation, and their knowledge about stroke is often limited. Telehealth can potentially address these issues.OBJECTIVES To determine whether treatment targeting arm movement delivered via a home-based telerehabilitation (TR) system has comparable efficacy with dose-matched, intensity-matched therapy delivered in a traditional in-clinic (IC) setting, and to examine whether this system has comparable efficacy for providing stroke education. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSIn this randomized, assessor-blinded, noninferiority trial across 11 US sites, 124 patients who had experienced stroke 4 to 36 weeks prior and had arm motor deficits (Fugl-Meyer [FM] score, 22-56 of 66) were enrolled between September 18, 2015, and December 28, 2017, to receive telerehabilitation therapy in the home (TR group) or therapy at an outpatient rehabilitation therapy clinic (IC group). Primary efficacy analysis used the intent-to-treat population.INTERVENTIONS Participants received 36 sessions (70 minutes each) of arm motor therapy plus stroke education, with therapy intensity, duration, and frequency matched across groups.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Change in FM score from baseline to 4 weeks after end of therapy and change in stroke knowledge from baseline to end of therapy.RESULTS A total of 124 participants (34 women and 90 men) had a mean (SD) age of 61 ( 14) years, a mean (SD) baseline FM score of 43 (8) points, and were enrolled a mean (SD) of 18.7 (8.9) weeks after experiencing a stroke. Among those treated, patients in the IC group were adherent to 33.6 of the 36 therapy sessions (93.3%) and patients in the TR group were adherent to 35.4 of the 36 assigned therapy sessions (98.3%). Patients in the IC group had a mean (SD) FM score change of 8.36 (7.04) points from baseline to 30 days after therapy (P < .001), while those in the TR group had a mean (SD) change of 7.86 (6.68) points (P < .001). The covariate-adjusted mean FM score change was 0.06 (95% CI, -2.14 to 2.26) points higher in the TR group (P = .96). The noninferiority margin was 2.47 and fell outside the 95% CI, indicating that TR is not inferior to IC therapy. Motor gains remained significant when patients enrolled early (<90 days) or late (Ն90 days) after stroke were examined separately.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Activity-based training produced substantial gains in arm motor function regardless of whether it was provided via home-based telerehabilitation or traditional in-clinic rehabilitation. The findings of this study suggest that telerehabilitation has the potential to substantially increase access to rehabilitation therapy on a large scale.

Background and Purpose-Individuals with chronic stroke often demonstrate a "plateau," or deceleration of motor recovery, which may lead to discharge from physical therapy (PT). However, numerous studies report improvements in motor function when individuals are provided intensive practice of motor tasks. We suggest that reduced task-specific walking practice during clinical PT contributes to limited gains in ambulatory function in those with a perceived plateau poststroke, and suggest that further gains can be realized if intensive stepping, or locomotor training (LT) is provided after discharge. Methods-Twenty subjects with chronic stroke completed a repeated baseline measures, randomized crossover trial in which walking performance was assessed during the last 4 weeks of clinical PT before discharge secondary to reaching a plateau, followed by 4 weeks of intensive LT and 4 weeks of no intervention. Outcome measures included clinical and physiological (metabolic) measures of walking overground and on a treadmill, and measures of daily stepping activity in the home and community, including during clinical PT and subsequent LT sessions. Results-Stepping practice was more than 4-fold higher during LT versus clinical PT sessions, with significant improvements in daily stepping and gait efficiency only after LT. Changes in daily stepping after clinical PT and intensive LT were correlated (PϽ0.001) with the amount of stepping practice received during these interventions. Conclusions-Intensive